Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Isn't This Nice?
Your heart is at home with these Wise Women
A Review by Lynn McKinney
During the holiday season family is what you choose it to be. That’s the story told in Barter Theatre’s Stage II production entitled "Wise Women", a play by Ron Osborne, who also gave us another group of strong, real women in " First Baptist of Ivy Gap" earlier this season.
The choice of Barter Theatre Associate Director Evalyn Baron to direct "Wise Women" guaranteed lively and believable characters interacting in a spicy-yet-sweet story. Her contributions to the interpretation of the personalities made her, effectively, the fifth "wise woman", albeit offstage. If it has to be that she is not onstage, it is just compensation to the audience that Evalyn direct.
Four women share a house in the days counting down to Christmas, 1944, in Knoxville, Tennessee. A mother and her 17 year old daughter take in two young women boarders who are starting new jobs in the bomb-making local plant. The two boarders are newly acquainted co-workers, both 20 in age but worlds apart in background and life experience. Although only a few years older than the daughter, to her they seem independent career women worthy of emulation. Any mother might call it corruption and a bad influence!
We learn the personal histories, hopes, and fears of each woman gradually as the story unfolds. The mother, played with aplomb by Mary Lucy Bivens, tries to keep the edited version of her daughter’s father alive for the girl; a father who was out of the picture before the girl was born. Rose, the daughter, played sassily but sweetly by Gwen Edwards, builds memories of her father from the stories her mother tells her about him. But those stories are based not on her biological father who abandoned her, but on her mother’s one true love who was killed serving in the Great War.
Sweet and well-raised Sarah Ruth, played by Stephanie Holladay, has conflicts with her own father and tries to please him in all things. When her coworker friend Jiggs talks her into running for Miss Bombshell 1944 she freaks out when she makes the top five and has to perform in the swimsuit competition. Although she does not win, the situation is totally embarrassing to her and hilarious to the audience. She feels she must tell her father what she did and writes him a letter just before Christmas, with unintended repercussions.
Amelia Ampuero owns the role of bad girl Jiggs and flirts, pouts, cajoles and manipulates her way with everyone she encounters. Still, she is full of life and ready to jump into anything with both feet. She brings assorted, some of them positively sordid, sailors and Marines around the house, giving fits to mama Florence and ideas to daughter Rose. Her often bad choices in men again derive from her own relationship with her father in her earlier years.
Representing the men folk are Scot Atkinson playing Donnie, your mother’s worst nightmare of sleaze; and Matt Greenbaum playing shy, sweet and awkward Howard. These are two fun roles and the appearance of each livens up the four women in the household in different and of course conflicting ways.
Christmas approaches and instead of going their separate ways back to family distant in both miles and emotional attachment, the four women choose to celebrate the season in the closeness of their reformulated family, including even sweet Howard.
In our own times we see parallel families being formed by circumstances and choice in our military personnel posted overseas; in our police, fire, and medical service people drawn together of necessity; and in our social services community caring for the homeless and alone. Because family is really what you choose it to be and who you love.
The set, done by scenic designer Tim Bruneau, is so absolutely cozy and comfy looking that you’d wish you could settle in during intermission for a nap, or maybe stand out on the porch and watch the winter stars. Nineteen forties style apparel, including the scanty one-piece bathing suit with modesty-panel, sleek dresses made for dancing, Rosie-the-Riveter coveralls, and snappy military uniforms, all come via the brilliance of costume designer Amanda Aldridge.
At Stage II everyone is close to the players and gets the feeling of personal involvement and "being there" with these refreshing people and their holiday celebrations. May everyone’s holiday turn out so well as these.
Visit the Barter Theatre website: www.bartertheatre.com for upcoming productions for the 2005 season.
A Review by Lynn McKinney
During the holiday season family is what you choose it to be. That’s the story told in Barter Theatre’s Stage II production entitled "Wise Women", a play by Ron Osborne, who also gave us another group of strong, real women in " First Baptist of Ivy Gap" earlier this season.
The choice of Barter Theatre Associate Director Evalyn Baron to direct "Wise Women" guaranteed lively and believable characters interacting in a spicy-yet-sweet story. Her contributions to the interpretation of the personalities made her, effectively, the fifth "wise woman", albeit offstage. If it has to be that she is not onstage, it is just compensation to the audience that Evalyn direct.
Four women share a house in the days counting down to Christmas, 1944, in Knoxville, Tennessee. A mother and her 17 year old daughter take in two young women boarders who are starting new jobs in the bomb-making local plant. The two boarders are newly acquainted co-workers, both 20 in age but worlds apart in background and life experience. Although only a few years older than the daughter, to her they seem independent career women worthy of emulation. Any mother might call it corruption and a bad influence!
We learn the personal histories, hopes, and fears of each woman gradually as the story unfolds. The mother, played with aplomb by Mary Lucy Bivens, tries to keep the edited version of her daughter’s father alive for the girl; a father who was out of the picture before the girl was born. Rose, the daughter, played sassily but sweetly by Gwen Edwards, builds memories of her father from the stories her mother tells her about him. But those stories are based not on her biological father who abandoned her, but on her mother’s one true love who was killed serving in the Great War.
Sweet and well-raised Sarah Ruth, played by Stephanie Holladay, has conflicts with her own father and tries to please him in all things. When her coworker friend Jiggs talks her into running for Miss Bombshell 1944 she freaks out when she makes the top five and has to perform in the swimsuit competition. Although she does not win, the situation is totally embarrassing to her and hilarious to the audience. She feels she must tell her father what she did and writes him a letter just before Christmas, with unintended repercussions.
Amelia Ampuero owns the role of bad girl Jiggs and flirts, pouts, cajoles and manipulates her way with everyone she encounters. Still, she is full of life and ready to jump into anything with both feet. She brings assorted, some of them positively sordid, sailors and Marines around the house, giving fits to mama Florence and ideas to daughter Rose. Her often bad choices in men again derive from her own relationship with her father in her earlier years.
Representing the men folk are Scot Atkinson playing Donnie, your mother’s worst nightmare of sleaze; and Matt Greenbaum playing shy, sweet and awkward Howard. These are two fun roles and the appearance of each livens up the four women in the household in different and of course conflicting ways.
Christmas approaches and instead of going their separate ways back to family distant in both miles and emotional attachment, the four women choose to celebrate the season in the closeness of their reformulated family, including even sweet Howard.
In our own times we see parallel families being formed by circumstances and choice in our military personnel posted overseas; in our police, fire, and medical service people drawn together of necessity; and in our social services community caring for the homeless and alone. Because family is really what you choose it to be and who you love.
The set, done by scenic designer Tim Bruneau, is so absolutely cozy and comfy looking that you’d wish you could settle in during intermission for a nap, or maybe stand out on the porch and watch the winter stars. Nineteen forties style apparel, including the scanty one-piece bathing suit with modesty-panel, sleek dresses made for dancing, Rosie-the-Riveter coveralls, and snappy military uniforms, all come via the brilliance of costume designer Amanda Aldridge.
At Stage II everyone is close to the players and gets the feeling of personal involvement and "being there" with these refreshing people and their holiday celebrations. May everyone’s holiday turn out so well as these.
Visit the Barter Theatre website: www.bartertheatre.com for upcoming productions for the 2005 season.
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