BWW Reviews: MRS. WHITNEY Follows Her Heart

Mrs. Whitney

Written by John Kolvenbach, Directed by Kyle Fabel; Scenic Designer, Campbell Baird; Costume Designer, Deb Newhall; Lighting Designer, Paul Hackenmueller; Sound Designer, Jason E. Weber; Stage Manager, Emily F. McMullen; Asst. Stage Manager, Peter Crewe

CAST: Joel Colodner, Rebecca Harris, Deidre Madigan, Jay Ben Markson, Dennis Parlato

Performances through April 8 at Merrimack Repertory Theatre, 50 E. Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA; Box Office 978-543-4MRT (4678) or www.merrimackrep.org

If Margaret Whitney heeded her mother's sayings, such as "Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach," there wouldn't be much to her story beyond the lamentations of a lonely sixty-year old divorcée and recent empty-nester. However, playwright John Kolvenbach decides to let her see what will happen when she takes a thoroughly ill-advised action to turn her life around and goes searching for the ne'er-do-well ex-husband she sent packing two decades earlier. Mrs. Whitney takes an unsentimental and humorous look at the lengths to which people will go in pursuit of romance as the antidote to isolation.

In the wake of her only daughter's marriage, Margaret (Deidre Madigan) is alone on Christmas until she receives an evening visit from her doleful friend Francis (Joel Colodner), a not-so-happily married man who secretly admires her. They are mutually down in the dumps and share their disenchantment about the holidays over a few drinks. When Margaret, a self-described romantic, tells Francis her plan to seek salvation and communion with Tom Whitney, his reaction is swift and awful; he offers himself to her in lieu of that foolhardy idea. However, her curiosity has the better of her and Margaret needs to find out if Tom may have changed enough to become a viable option to rescue her from her plight. As she explains to Francis, visiting Tom while feeling starved for companionship parallels her mother's maxim about grocery shopping, but her desire is so great that she intends to throw caution to the wind.

Margaret shows up unannounced at Tom's house and meets Louisa (Rebecca Harris), long-suffering wife number five. She learns that although he has stopped drinking, the rest of his irresponsible, unreliable behavior patterns continue. He disappears for long stretches of time, he can't hold a job, and he's far better at getting married than staying married. The two women are wary of each other at first, but eventually Louisa asks Margaret for advice about whether or not to leave her husband and Margaret settles in to await Tom's return from his latest wanderings.

At this juncture, Kolvenbach's story has already stretched the boundaries of believability, but his quirky characters are interesting and delightful, not to mention lovingly portrayed, so that we want to continue to get to know them. In fact, that illustrates one of the themes that motivates Margaret, wanting to be known and to know another. One of the reasons why Tom remains attractive to her despite his long list of shortcomings is the knowledge they have of each other. When he arrives home to find his first wife bonding with his college-age son Fin, Tom's surprise seems minimal in comparison to his eventual pleasure at being reunited with the woman who knows him so well and for whom he has always carried a torch.

The serial relationships of his father have had a strong impact on Fin (Jay Ben Markson) as reflected in his inability to form a realistic connection with a girl he likes. As much as he denies any interest in having Margaret "mother" him, he turns to her for guidance. She acknowledges that she is equally foolish in affairs of the heart, but recognizes that the compelling yearning that they share is one of the deep-seated components of the human condition. Ultimately, it explains why Francis acts out of character, the choice Louisa makes, and the potency of the attachment between Tom and Margaret.

In order to make it credible that Tom is such a hot commodity, it doesn't hurt that Dennis Parlato is a James Brolin lookalike who walks with a cowboy swagger. He captures the engaging, manipulative traits of the alcoholic who gets by on surface charm, but also metes out flashes of the demons within. When Tom and Francis meet, Parlato becomes the convivial man's man, and he shifts gears again when struggling to live down to Fin's demands and expectations. His chemistry with all of the members of the cast makes it believable that everyone is drawn to him.

Madigan's absorption of Margaret is complete from the first scene. Even when the script requires her to break the fourth wall and address the audience directly with a chunk of narrative, her delivery is conversational and animated. She has great timing, using Kolvenbach's trademark pauses to emphasize the comedy or drama of the moment. She never breaks your heart, but she makes you feel Margaret's urgency and understand her determination.

Harris has a field day with the comic opportunities in her first act scene with Madigan. Her body language and facial expressions tell a great deal about how Louisa is experiencing the unexpected visit from yet another former wife. She reprises some of the shtick briefly in act two, but I wish Kolvenbach could find a way to have this character more involved, at least as long as Harris is playing the role. Colodner portrays the other put upon character with a downcast gaze and an array of deep sighs. He is earnest in his admiration for Margaret and his disappointment in himself. Markson infuses a jolt of wry commentary and youthful energy, not to mention a large helping of adolescent eye-rolling.

The dialogue is quick and witty, and the aspects of the script that test our disbelief can be glossed over because everyone in the ensemble is entirely natural in their portrayal. Director Kyle Fabel's blocking feels organic, having the actors use the space as if they live in these two homes. Scenic Designer Campbell Baird places Margaret's living room in the foreground, partially concealing Tom's house behind a gauzy curtain. When the curtain is drawn, an open plan contemporary house with a well-appointed kitchen, exposed beams, and a stone fireplace comes into view. It is a striking design, but it seems beyond the means of a ne'er-do-well. Deb Newhall's costume designs are more apt, dressing Tom and Fin in jeans and rumpled shirts, and Margaret in stylish, but simple sweaters and slacks. Lighting Designer Paul Hackenmueller is responsible for spotlighting Margaret's soliloquys and clearly illuminates all of the action. Scene changes are underscored with American standards that tie in with the story, such as "Blues in the Night," thanks to Sound Designer Jason E. Weber.

Mrs. Whitney has a lot to say about the human condition that we are often loathe to talk about. Kolvenbach sends Margaret on a journey of self-discovery when she decides that it is not too late for a second chance, even with the guy who seems to never run out of chances. Perhaps the lesson is that she has nothing to lose by following her heart. She's a romantic and that's that. Thanks to Merrimack Repertory Theatre for presenting her travelogue.

Photo credit: Meghan Moore (Rebecca Harris, Dennis Parlato, Jay Ben Markson)

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