Review: CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at Gaslight-Baker Theatre

Choosing to perform a Tennessee (Thomas Lanier) Williams (1911-1983) play means genuinely committing to some of theater’s most salient aspects: in this case, a plot that must capture and then hold the audience in unfolding layers of tragedy, characters that are complex and often display less-than-desirable human characteristics, believable delivery of modified language to portray a specific region or temperament, performance of disconcerting and sometimes virulent spectacle on a human scale, and production design that rises to the needs of the story. 

From April 26 to May 11, Gaslight-Baker Theatre is offering a bold and convincing production of the Pulitzer Prize winning play CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (1974 version) at their historic theater in Lockhart. Directed by Eric Beck, this performance is gripping, true to Williams’ melodramatic style, and amplifies many of the actors' excellence in their craft.

CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF is set in the master bedroom of a plantation house on the “finest plantation in the Delta” made up of “twenty-eight thousand acres of the richest land this side of the valley Nile!” Deeply tragic, this three-act play is centered around a married couple, Brick and Maggie, and their extended family as they celebrate Big Daddy’s 65th birthday, and then deliver the news that Big Daddy has metastatic cancer. 

The revealing of the diagnosis is, however, only the surface complication of this family’s dysfunction. The reality of Big Daddy’s impending death, known to the adult children before the events of the day, amplifies issues around infidelity, sexual desire and repression, greed and familial vying for eventual inheritance, the ways in which layers of falsehood build up over the length of time and erode relationships, the problematic nature of social mores and one-upmanship, alcoholism, the effects of suicide, and the trauma of emotionally abusive relationships. It is no wonder that the play is titled as it is; the metaphor “cat on a hot tin roof” meaning “someone who is in a state of extreme nervous worry.” That seems to be every member of this story except, perhaps, the children.

The Gaslight-Baker Theatre cast of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF is expertly led by Dawn Wright Calvert (Maggie the “Cat”/Margaret). Calvert offers an exceptional performance, portraying the passion, guile, and blunt honesty of Maggie with skill and integrity. The first act is carried in near entirety by Calvert, showing us Maggie’s vacillation between vying concerns: disdain for her brother- and sister-in-law’s family, annoyance with their children, a deep desire to become pregnant, concern and sorrow in her marriage, and discerning what she must do to retain a measure of the security she has married into. Calvert is partnered by Derek Byzinski (Brick), who embodies Brick’s aversion to Maggie, alcoholic haze, and general disinterest in anything concerning the family effectively. 

Greg Dew (Big Daddy) gives a stand-out performance, delivering Big Daddy’s toxicity, vitriol, and divisiveness without reservation. Dew does not hold back in volume or shy away from the unsavory aspects of Big Daddy, compelling us to confront the reality of these persons in our own lives even as the action unfolds on stage. Andrea Littlefield (Big Mama) gives a nuanced performance of the busybody-ish, emotionally oppressed, and long-suffering wife of Big Daddy; her delight in her grandchildren and persistent guarded optimism are hallmarks of many women remembered from the Great Generation in the US. 

The cast is completed by Luke Jenkins in the role of Dr. Baugh, a nervous physician disinclined to be forthright; Jonathan Jones as Reverend Tooker, who seems to be more interested in being friends with the family than in offering spiritual support or guidance; Tifani Pust as Mae, the eavesdropping and conniving sister-in-law; and Tyler Spillman as Gooper, the less-favorite older brother of Brick. In charming, and often precocious roles, are Sydney Davis (Trixie), Sydney Claire Jones (Polly), Luhana Lopez (Buster and Souki), Rene White (Sonny), and Shea White (Dixie) as Mae and Gooper’s children.

Set on the extended apron of a proscenium stage, Sam Plumb’s scenic design is versatile and efficient, providing multiple play areas and - through clutter lining the walls on either side - providing a visual for the clutter of the characters’ lives pressing in on the story. Also, a shout-out to the box office and concessions team who offered a genuine welcome and patience with the complications that come with having a city festival in the street outside and taking over all the parking. The accommodations for late arrivals were generous and partnered with kindness. 

Gaslight-Baker Theatre’s production of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF is extremely well done, bold and convincing as the plot winnows its way through one family’s dysfunction. I highly encourage everyone to take an afternoon trip out to Lockhart, enjoy some local barbecue, stroll through their historic downtown, and then settle in for an evening of gripping story-telling. There are trigger warnings that come with this show: significant profanity, frequent male toxicity, depictions of emotional and relational abuse, very loud expletives and demeaning language directed toward characters, language surrounding issues of sexuality, mention of suicide, and issues concerning cancer and death. 

CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF

Written by Tennessee Williams

Gaslight-Baker Theatre, 216 South Main Street, Lockhart, Texas 78644

April 26 - May 11, 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm shows

Running Time: 2 hours 55 minutes; one 15-minute intermission and one 10-minute intermission

Tickets: $8 - $18 https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=209513 

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