Review: FLIGHT OF THE MONARCH at Shakespeare & Company

Shakespeare & Company, in association with Great Barrington Public Theater, presents Jim Frangione’s FLIGHT of the MONARCH directed by Judy Braha.

This darkly comic play tells the story of two siblings, Sheila (Corinna May) and Thomas (Allyn Burrows), both born and raised in a small New England fishing village where they still live. It delves into what we owe to the people who know and love us best, and how family members’ needs and desires may push the boundaries of what we can be expected to do for others.

“The siblings ride an emotional roller coaster as they attempt to decode the past and find their way into a future of their own making,” Director, Braha said. “There are moments of deep reflection, antipathy, and humor as the siblings navigate the challenges, both physical and cognitive, of growing older.”  She added “the work explores how each sibling approaches adversity, but also how their lives are intertwined.”

FLIGHT of the MONARCH is one of those theatrical experiences with the magical mix whereby the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  To sit in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre and simply watch the piece; letting the accurately scripted geographic details, the colloquial nuance of the dialogue, the unwavering, dyed in the wool characterizations of the actors, and the nuances in scenic (Patrick Brennan), lighting (James Bilnoski), costumes (Christina Beam) and sound (Rachel Harrison) designs make for a solid hit that is sure to resonate with a member of just about any family structure.  This excellent drama premiering at Shakespeare & Company is outstanding - a virtual Grand Slam.

As we filed out after approximately two hours (with one intermission) my simple, surface level impression and take-away was more-or-less it was well – done and solid overall.  Over the course of the next 24 or so hours, however, something rather unusual took place.  As you may have inferred from the title, FLIGHT of the MONARCH, and its content use threads and references to, the implied butterfly and migration.  So too, shall I when I say that for me, FLIGHT of the MONARCH sparked something of a metaphysical metamorphosis in me.  It became so much more.

 I am certainly not alone in thinking that my family of origin put the fun in dysfunctional.  One of Shiela’s lines alone: “Nobody escapes from this family unscathed” should serve as evidence of another dimension this presentation works very well on, for what I imagine is a good portion of the audience.  Add the element of symbolism that Braha and this company and production masterfully weave into a tapestry that is subtly but deeply powerful.  So much so, that my sister (sitting next to me at the time) and I, who connect butterflies to our own mother (of blessed memory)’s passing and possible spiritual plain existence now that she has. While some will say one see’s connections when / where one wants, it gave me chill bumps! 

Que: Twilight Zone theme music.

While FLIGHT of the MONARCH takes place some 90 miles south of Salem, a similar quaint coastal Massachusetts city known for metaphysical activities and points of connection on multiple levels.  Whether you choose to accept, believe; how the piece connects with you, and what it says, if anything at all, is very much dependent on you, and individual results may vary.  My experience suggests that if you do, you may find it simple, sublime, complex, deeply rich and powerful… or not.  I recommend seeing FLIGHT of the MONARCH at Shakespeare & Company’s Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre in Lenox, MA where it continues through August 25.  You may not have to endure a “perilous journey to the mountains of Mexico" that millions of Butterfles do annually to experience something breathtaking.

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