By Donald V. Calamia
Review: 'Mother's Day'
It's not often that a regional theater
located so far from the Great White
Way has an opportunity to produce the
North American premiere of a new play
written by an up-and-coming and
critically acclaimed playwright. It's also
rare - given the success-to-failure rate
of new works - for that show to be a
critical and commercial hit.
"Mother's Day," now in production at
Lansing's BoarsHead Theatre, is a fine
example of the quality work Michigan's
regional professional theaters are
capable of staging. Given the show's
slick production values, uniformly
superb cast and comically ironic script,
the folks at the BoarsHead have done
everything possible to make "Mother's
Day" a critical success.
Playwright Jeff Baron's witty script tells
the comedic story of a seemingly
typical American family about to
celebrate the annual Hallmark holiday.
What we find instead is a family in
which keeping score and choosing
sides are a time honored tradition.
Comfortably ensconced at its head is
Estelle, a matriarchal mother and
grandmother, whose family is making
the ritualistic trek home to share a
holiday meal. It's a day she won't soon
forget.
From the very start, Estelle's big day
progresses from one unpleasant
surprise to another. It peaks with a
particularly nasty encounter with
daughter, Leslie (a lovely and
successful golf pro who brings home
her latest - and butchest - girlfriend to
meet the family), after which Estelle
suffers a stroke.
From there, the script's delicious irony
takes over: The outcast provides the
voice of sanity, long-simmering
feelings are brought to the surface and
tightly held family secrets are revealed.
And some things never change.
It's easy to see why actress Carmen
Decker is a long-time favorite of
BoarsHead audiences. Her portrayal of
Estelle is priceless: She's not the evil,
manipulative witch some
lesser-talented thespian could make
her; instead, she's played as the
lovable and shrewd (but never
shrew-like) despot who simply enjoys
being in control of her surroundings.
Decker especially shines in the second
half when she must act without the
advantage of talking. There's no doubt
what she's trying to communicate!
Baron also gives each of the other
actors their moment to shine. Their
near flawless performances enhance
the script, something for which most
authors and directors would gladly give
their firstborn child.
Kudos go to Evelyn Orbach (as
Estelle's younger and totally devoted
sister, Marilyn), Brooke Behmke (as
favored son, Jonathon), Rebecca
Covey (who, as daughter-in-law
Carmen, sometimes sounds more
Russian than Castilian Spanish),
Susan Felder (as girlfriend Wendy,
who escapes the family dinner only to
encounter them again on her own turf),
and Adrianne Cury (who stands out as
daughter Leslie). There's also one
additional character, unseen and
uncredited, who serves as comic relief
during the otherwise serious second
act.
Director John Peakes has staged a
slick and highly entertaining
production. Credit must also be given
to Rob Eastman-Mullins who created
an imaginative and fully functional set
(and lighting design) that is quite
impressive.
Rating: ****.
"Jeff Baron is one of the shooting stars of the American theatre
scene and a precise observer of human weaknesses and errors."
"A dramatic comedy that approaches the problems of a middle class
family in an agile, amused and impressive way. Jeff Baron, author of
the great success "Visiting Mr. Green", believes in the possibility of
the interior progress of the human being.
"Mr. Baron has hit the bull’s eye once again in creating characters
which are so true to life that this reviewer, for one, felt extremely
vulnerable. He has a refreshingly keen ear for dialogue and
amazing skill in creating one-liners that score deep meaning
as well as laughter."