Best Wishes
Crown City Theatre Company produces Bill Barker's captivatingly intimate play, “Best Wishes” with a burial 'plot' chock full of emotion. Barker's script fills the room with tears and laughter, reminding us of our own families' love/hate relationships.
Following a death in the family, siblings gather in Liberal, Kansas, to mourn their mama, then remain a few days to take care of 'things,' including old family skeletons. As Fanny, the inquisitorial neighborhood know-it-all, Peggy Lord Chilton's untarnished comic delivery pries open our hearts largely enough to allow Bill Barker's emotional dialogue to swoop in and catch his audience by surprise. Nadya Starr (Crystal) guides us into her most intriguing personal suffering without muttering a word, while Carol Jones's verbally abusive and lighthearted Dorie greets each sibling with, “Mama loooved you sooo much,” just before spewing the honesty of what Mama really thought of them. At one point, she blames her brutal honesty on the grief of losing her mother, an excuse to which her sister, Crystal, quips, “Grief...is a private thing.” Joanne McGee plays Elda, the 'black sheep' attempting a fresh beginning and refusing to change who she is. One of McGee's strongest assets is changing the mood of her audience within a single line. We will laugh or we will halt -- on her command. Happily neurotic Vera (Ann Bronston) insists on cooking all of Mama's old recipes even though nobody has ever enjoyed them, 'including Mama.' Patriarchal brother, Gil (Dana Craig), blasts his family's immaturity while attempting to sell the house and move on with his own life.
The talent of this ensemble makes you feel like you're watching an all-star Broadway production.
Director Hollace Starr maneuvers the cast specifically enough so that, while they may have exited the room, you can imagine exactly what their characters are doing off stage. Several moments are so well designed that you will tilt your head, impressed by the handiwork of a non-veteran stage director.
Forget your plans this weekend and take a chance with some of the most brilliant performances you'll see for a while! Seriously.
On a Grading Scale: A+
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Theater: Crown City Theatre Company
Web Site: http://www.crowncitytheatre.com/
Tickets: 818-745-8527
Dates: Through April 19, 2009.