Review: Gloucester Stage Company's Wipeout is Moving and Funny Look at Enduring Friendships

Oceanfront beaches are perfect settings not only for active invigoration like running, surfing, and swimming, but also for reflecting on life. In playwright Aurora Real De Asua’s “Wipeout,” three longtime friends do just that while contemplating the future and preparing for their next adventure.

Part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere at Gloucester Stage Company through July 28, the one-act play focuses on three older women, friends since childhood, and together once again – this time to take surfing lessons.

Under the meticulously layered direction of Shana Gozansky, and with expertly naturalistic writing by de Asua and moving performances by its three leads – Cheryl D. Singleton as the caring and kind Claudia, Noelle Player as the restless and discontent Wynn, and Karen MacDonald as Margaret “Gary,” a free spirit ready to tackle anything that comes her way – “Wipeout” explores what makes some friendships endure and what can fracture them.

Player’s Wynn is thrice-married and teeming with anger. Instead of enjoying the company of her friends, she seems determined to find the worst in everything – even stating that she hates the ocean and that the sun is sure to give her skin cancer. We learn that Wynn had endured many losses over time and that the most recent of them has left her purposely distancing herself from Claudia and Gary.

As Claudia, the production’s most dignified and quiet-voiced character, Singleton displays inner fortitude as she speaks lovingly of her husband whose health is waning, her career as a school teacher, and the impact Malcolm X had on her.

MacDonald plays Gary – a candid-to-a-fault character with a voracious appetite for everything life offers and an enviable fearlessness – with humor that makes it even harder when we learn that her memory struggles are more than just simple aging, and are instead a gathering wave that is beginning to engulf her. MacDonald’s finely etched portrayal, that plays out in every movement and facial expression, is the latest in a long line of unforgettable performances from one of greater Boston’s most respected actors.

There is strong supporting work, too, provided by Thomas Bilotta as 19-year-old surfing instructor Blaze. Bilotta, who received his BFA earlier this year from Boston University, adds youthful vigor and enthusiasm to the proceedings and holds his own with the trio of older actors.

The Santa Cruz, California, coastline setting is evoked by Jenna McFarland Lord’s creative design, including a celestial array of colorful beach balls that float above the stage and office-chair mounted surfboards that roll around as if bobbing in the water. Jennifer Greeke’s costumes, Aubrey Dube’s sound, and Kat C. Zhou’s lighting design also enhance the production’s mood and outdoor feel.

Photo caption: Cheryl D. Singleton, Karen MacDonald, and Noelle Player in a scene from Gloucester Stage Company’s production of “Wipeout.” Photo by Jason Grow.

To post a comment, you must register and login.