THE ARTS ETC
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New CenturyTheatre
Presents
PAINTING CHURCHES
by Tina Howe
Directed by Keith Langsdale
Smith College
Theater 14, Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts
122 Green Street, Northampton, MA
June 16, 7:30pm; June 17 and 18, 8:pm; June 19, 2:pm and 7:30pm
June 21-23, 7:30pm; June 24 and 25, 8:pm
NCT's Summer Season 2011 Opener is a Hit
REVIEWED BY B. K. GRANT
With a lively keyboard as background, Act One of Painting Churches opens in the posh living room of the Churches’ Beacon Hill abode with a comical exchange between Fanny and Gardner over her new ‘thrift shop’ hat. The floor is strewn with cardboard boxes into which their lives must be neatly packed – they are moving. Downsizing. Or attempting to. Complicating the task at hand is the expected arrival of their daughter Mags, a successful New York artist. Her entrance with overstuffed baggage is less than loving as she bemoans the inconvenient detours and delays she was forced to endure on her trip to Boston. When the actual welcoming occurs, the warmth shared with her doting dad contrasts sharply to her chilled response to mother’s embraces.
In a whirlwind of discussing the art world, and how and what to pack in those boxes, the members of this somewhat dysfunctional family begin to rediscover each other and, to the delight of the audience, the tasty Saltine cracker. Mags reveals the real reason for her visit: she wants to paint her parents’ portrait. Gardner is your classic absent-minded professor-type, misplacing items he had in his hand only minutes ago. Fanny, if a bit dotty, is the stronger of the two, trying to hold things together. Very much on the south side of life, the couple goes through hilarious antics to strike a proper pose for the sitting.
Nicole Ricciardi* is exceptional in her portrayal of the self-absorbed Mags; her character has suffered the effects of her parents’ child-rearing skills – or lack there of. The passion of her strength alternating with nearly debilitating weakness is incredibly real and had this reviewer’s heart pounding.
Fanny is the typical high society spouse, concerned with manners, appearances, neatness – an Emily Post advocate to be sure. Sara Whitcomb* nails Fanny’s personality brilliantly; she loves her daughter but has difficulty showing it. This reviewer alternated between cheering her on and wanting to slap her down, especially after a comment meant surely to lighten Mags’ desperate mood: “You’re not creepy, darling, just shabby!”.
Kenneth Tigar* as Gardner is the high point of the evening; his wonderful dementia shines, as he complains “Gee, it’s hot in here” and proceeds to remove his suit jacket, revealing his favorite overcoat underneath. For several minutes, while Fanny and Mags are interacting, Tigar continues to disrobe, depositing layer after layer of favorite shirts and sweaters on nearby chair backs and on the floor. The audience is in stitches. Tigar never breaks character.
As Act Two opens to somber accompaniment, the well-appointed Boston home with its three impressive French windows opening on the world has lost its polish to the movers (actually the great stage crew), who also manage to sample the Saltines. The valuable artwork and the Queen Anne furniture have been removed, leaving only a few odd chairs amid the remaining boxes. It is here that Tina Howe’s talent as a playwright is recognized.
The mood changes. The futility of resistance to the situation is evident. The act of moving from one’s home is traumatic at any stage of life; in the ‘golden years’ as mental clarity slips, it can be downright tragic. Keith Langsdale and Sam Rush have presented Painting Churches “with heart and sole”, capitalizing on disturbing, poignant and comical moments to bring the message home. Claire DeLiso (set design), Daniel Rist (lighting design), Tom Shread (sound design), Julien Winter Tremblay* (stage manager) and Abbie Chase (costumer) form a great team, pulling this wonderful production together.
Evoking guffaws, teary eyes and everything in between, Painting Churches is a delicious concoction of Renoir, Jackson Pollack and Charles Shultz – art reflecting life. Don’t miss it.
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors
and Stage Managers in the United States
Painting Churches is sponsored by Thomson Financial Management
Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
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