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Review: The Gamm's Radio Free Emerson

By: May. 23, 2007
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 Al Gregory (Tony Estella) is an evangelist, a missionary; not of Jesus Christ, but of Ralph Waldo Emerson with a sprinkling of pseudo-Jesus.  Like any good evangelist, there is a past for which he is seeking redemption, a terrific message and a touch of mania. Al is the central character in Radio Free Emerson, which is a piece written by Paul Grellong. The work is a first-ever commission by The Gamm.

The play opens at Al Gregory's father's funeral.  The elder Gregory owned a small a.m. radio station in Rhode Island.  He was also the station's resident self-help guru.  Al, the prodigal son, returns for his father's funeral and steps into his father's shoes both at the talk radio station and in life.

The writer  quickly lets the audience know that the Gregory family is the model of dysfunction.  We come to suspect that Al's mother, Marilyn Gregory (Alyn Carlson), has been carrying on an adulterous affair with a long-time family friend, Dr. Bentham (Richard Donnelly).  Al's former love interest, Gina (Tanya Anderson) got pregnant by his father and her husband Henry (Steve Kidd), who is Al's oldest friend, doesn't have a clue about, well, anything.

As the story unfolds, the character who has the information has the power and moves the narrative.  That person is usually Al, who uses that power and his family's influence to keep his own unsavory past hidden.  He fills in for his father at the radio station and spreads the re-fried gospel of Emerson and self-reliance to Rhode Island's a.m. airwave masses.

Paul Grellong's script is quick, witty, well-paced, heavy on words-per-minute and stuffed full of black humor.  The script is reaches it most enjoyable arcs as the characters  plunge the depths of darkness.  The story has a distinct beginning, middle and end; a real end, where it should be.  Nothing belabored.  This play ends at exactly the second it should, which impresses me greatly.

This production is directed by Peter Sampieri.  Sampieri does an admirable job of letting the script (and the character's lives with it) unravel, devolving into near-chaos, without losing the rhythm of the story.  The set was surprisingly modular, morphing quickly from a home to a bar to a radio station.  The lighting, sound and costumes support the production and appear seamless.

The performances, individually and collectively, are strong. Estrella, Anderson and Kidd have the central roles.   As Al, Estrella brings an air of Donny Osmond purity to a role that you would expect to cast "edgier".  The casting works because it take the audience longer to figure out that the sweetness and light, Al, is dark and frankly, dangerous.

Tanya Anderson embodies Gina;  Driven, unfulfilled, tortured by the truth.  Anderson plays the role so that the audience likes her, despite her initial shrewish, behavior.  Skillful writing, directing and acting keep this role from becoming simply the bitter, fragile wife.

The character of Henry is a little simpler.  Henry is "from here".  Which is to say that he is a hard-working, blue collar local who lives on "the other side of Providence", away from the colleges. He is the hero by default and is played earnestly by Steve Kidd.  Henry is one the edge with his finances, his relationship and his emotional health.  He has the occasional, appropriate, breakdown scene.  Kidd conveys a genuine, unforced emotion.

As Marilyn Gregory, Alyn Carlson has some of the best comic lines.  The Widow Gregory is not grieving the loss of her husband as much as she is grieving the catering bill for his funeral.  Carlson's comic timing is pretty great.

I love to listen to Richard Donnelly speak.  He has, what is for me, a definitive Rhode Island accent.  Not the cockney, nasal sound that is certainly colloquial, but a clipped, no-bullshit cadence.  He also possesses a certain intensity that gives weight to whatever role he plays. All of that rounds out his portrayal of Dr. Bentham.

Why Dr. Bentham and Marilyn Gregory are attracted to each other, if they are attracted to each other, is a bit vague.  The relationship is peripheral to the plot, so the lack of clarity has little effect on the story line.

Tom Gleadow has a couple funny moments as the ever-helpful Freddie.  Josh Short, Amanda Ruggiero and Karen Carpenter give fine supporting performances.

Rhode Island audiences will identify with Radio Free Emerson.  It feels uniquely "ours" because of the setting and the situation.  What is more "Rhode Island" than a.m. talk radio, dysfunction and product placement by local favorite, Dunkin' Donuts?

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