Boston Marriage
Since founder Lonny Chapman died a few years ago, the Group Repertory Theatre Company has been floundering along in an effort to continue in the traditions that Chapman cultivated. Now they are experiencing a renewal engendered by an energetic new artistic director, Ernie Figueroa. A local force for theatre working in conjunction with the Directors Lab West for the last 10 years, Figueroa has called on some of his longstanding relationships to breath new life into the 36 year-old troupe.
As one of his first acts, Figueroa has organized a set of three plays running in repertory through November 8th. All three of the plays offer tried and true material by leading playwrights – the comedy, Heroes, was first up, written by Tom Stoppard and directed by Gregg Daniel; the domestic drama, Painting Churches, followed, written by Tina Howe and directed by Kappy Kilburn; and finally, Boston Marriage by David Mamet and directed by Lisa Wolpe.
Mamet’s play captured my interest as it concerns three women in a play by a man most known for his visceral and foul-mouthed male characters. To add to the intrigue, Mamet has placed his play at the turn-of-the-century, making it essentially a stylized comedy of feminine manners. I can only think that he grew bored with the notable boorishness of his usual characters and set himself a challenge to expose the hypocrisy of an age in the form of female friendship.
Two women of a certain reputation have remained friends through a series of lovers and other interests. Anna (Lia Sargent) has landed a moneyed sugar daddy who set her up in a posh section of town (which we infer must be Boston). We meet her best friend, Claire (Stephanie Jones), and soon learn that the two are rather more than friends. Hovering in the background is Catherine (Melissa Soso), a newly arrived Scottish maid with troubles of her own. Claire confesses that she has arranged to meet a young girl at Anna’s new abode for the purpose of corrupting her. Although Anna is against it from the start, she acquiesces to Claire’s entreaties. Although we never see the girl, she provides the complication that will eventually unravel the delicate balance of the women’s lives.
Mamet’s play is a strange animal: a mix between earthy and high flown sentiments, and modern with (presumably) period sensibilities. Furthermore, he has endeavored to poke fun at peculiarly feminine concerns of the time, such as the vapors or pregnancy out of wedlock. The result is a sort of hybrid comedy that takes some getting used to.
Sadly, the demands of the quirky style of speech prevent the principal performers from finding a moment of truth that will launch the comedy. Director Wolpe has endeavored to infuse movement into the dialogue, but the outcome seems more arbitrary than motivated by need. Jones and Sargent struggle valiantly with the overwritten but essentially static discussion, but mercifully, Soso’s maid engagingly steals every scene in which she appears.
The combination setting (by Trefoni Michael Rizzi) on which the play unfolds features beautiful antiques as well as a few painted, skeletal set pieces…among them an arch and an open door … thus necessitating a decision about how to handle entrances to the room. Judging from Claire’s first appearance, a final decision has not been made, since the actor was forced to make an half-hearted attempt at miming a knob turning, but she stopped short of pushing a door open as she came in. Lighting by Jen Goldstein accomplishes much with very little, while the costumes designed by Liz Nankin are richly period. Figueroa’s leadership is much in evidence in the exuberance of the members of the Group Rep., and we can look forward to a growing professionalism for this long-time troupe.
Boston Marriage continues at Lonny Chapman Theatre, 10900 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood 91601, through November 8th, 2009, with performances in repertory various days on Fridays, Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Ticket prices: $22.00 – students/seniors $17.00 – (818) 700-4878, or online at www.thegrouprep.org.