Review: ALLIGATOR ROAD: More Bark Than Bite

Alligator Road

Written by Callie Kimball, Directed by Weylin Symes; Scenic Design, Katheryn Monthei; Costume Design, Stephen LaMonica; Lighting Design, Anthony R. Phelps; Sound Design, Elizabeth Cahill; Props Master, Sarah Elizabeth Bedard; Production Stage Manager, Rachel Sturm

CAST (in alphabetical order): Avery Bargar, Brianne Beatrice, Sarah Bendell, Victoria George

Performances through October 29 at Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham, MA; Box Office 781-279-2200 or www.greaterbostonstage.org

Greater Boston Stage Company has a commitment to produce a world premiere play each year, a mission now underwritten by the largesse of a long-time audience member and supporter. The 18th season at the Stoneham theater continues with Alligator Road, the inaugural offering of the Don Fulton New Play Project, by Maine playwright Callie Kimball. Producing Artistic Director Weylin Symes is at the helm of this quirky, slice-of-life-you-don't-see-everyday comedy.

First off, can you name another play that takes place in a hardware store? Scenic designer Katheryn Monthei steals the spotlight with her spot on evocation of a little neighborhood store, jam-packed with cleaning products, tools, lawn and garden supplies, paint cans, and reflective house numbers hanging on a pegboard behind the cash register. In keeping with one of the themes of the plot, many items have been "yarn bombed" with knitted or crocheted covers (supplied by the Melrose Yarn Bombers). Thanks to props master Sarah Elizabeth Bedard, there's lots of eye candy to draw your attention throughout the play.

Sorry to say, the distraction is a plus because Alligator Road chugs along in fits and starts. The unit set doesn't encourage a lot of movement and Symes seems satisfied to have his actors stand in one place when they converse. Kimball's story is character driven, but the depth of development of her four characters is uneven, creating an imbalance. The premise is that Kathy (Brianne Beatrice) is newly widowed and not terribly interested in becoming the proprietor of her late husband's hardware store. With her eye on getting a fresh start in life, Kathy decides to give the store to a stranger, an African American woman she met at a shelter, believing that she will also be giving that woman a chance at a fresh start, as well as doing her part to make reparations. As you might imagine, problems ensue.

Chief among the problems is Kathy's college-age daughter Candace (Sarah Bendell) who strongly objects to her mother's act of charity, not to mention just about everything her mother says or does. Next, when Lavinia (Victoria George) arrives to take ownership of the store, it comes out that she was a volunteer, not a resident, at the shelter and actually has a pretty good job...and a husband, who just happens to be white. Candace revels at these revelations, enjoying the opportunity to point a finger at her mother's miscalculation. I realize that I am committing a sin by revealing some of these plot points, but it is in service of trying to illustrate the sitcom-ish nature of the characters and the story. Mother and daughter at loggerheads is nothing new and the only twist on this relationship is that Lavinia is put in the unlikely position of playing mediator.

Kimball bites off a chunk of challenges to explore, but some are more thoroughly chewed than others. Much time is spent on hashing out the history between Kathy and Candace (she was Daddy's girl and now they have to talk to each other), but Mom is put on the defensive and made to look like a whack job, while daughter is a one-note, entitled adolescent. Beatrice makes her character sympathetic, but Bendell substitutes being shrill for the teenager's feelings of grief and abandonment. There's altogether too much screaming between the two of them, but they don't seem to hear each other at all.

When the family issues run their course, Kimball brings up the issue of racism and the unorthodox business about reparations. Once Kathy's mission is revealed to her, Lavinia is not at all disturbed by it and is just happy to get the hardware store, regardless of the circumstances. Jokes are made at the expense of the white guy (Avery Bargar), and, in a bizarre turnaround, he is virtually emasculated by his wife. An assertive female character is to be applauded, but their marital partnership is nearly dismissed and Scott seems more a spectator than participant. George succeeds at creating a three-dimensional character and Lavinia is perhaps the only one who comes out smelling like a rose.

The great thing about producing new plays is that a play has to be staged before you can really know what you have created. Greater Boston Stage Company is stepping up and, thanks to Don Fulton, getting additional financial support to fulfill their mission. By telling the story of some underrepresented types in a nondescript Central Florida location, Kimball is mining unique material. Her choice of issues is valid, but her aim is a bit off and this Alligator Road needs more teeth and more chuckles.

Photo credit: Nile Hawver/Nile Scott Shots (Sarah Bendell, Brianne Beatrice, Avery Bargar, Victoria George)

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