THREE VIEWINGS: Love, Loss, and What She Stole

Three Viewings

Written by Jeffrey Hatcher, Directed by Jim Petosa, Scenic Design by Cristina Todesco, Costume Design by Molly Trainer, Lighting Design by Chris Brusberg, Sound Design by David Reiffel, Properties Design by Julie Tidemand; Production Stage Manager, Jayscott Crossley

CAST (in order of appearance): Joel Colodner (Emil), Christine Power (Mac), Adrianne Krstansky (Virginia)

Performances through December 18 in New Repertory Theatre's Black Box Theater at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA. Box Office 617-923-8487 or www.newrep.org

Three monologues delivered by three quality actors add up to a whole that is far more than the sum of its parts in Jeffrey Hatcher's witty Three Viewings in New Rep's Black Box Theater. Skillfully directed by Jim Petosa and powerfully delivered by Joel Colodner, Christine Power, and Adrianne Krstansky, the intimate setting provides the ideal space for these stories to be shared, breaking the fourth wall to connect with the audience as they bear witness to these very personal losses. A simple set, appropriately sedate costumes, and solemn lighting underscore the serious subject matter and effectively place our focus on the spoken words.   

In the first monologue, the bright-eyed speaker (Colodner) takes the audience on a stroll down lover's lane, giving us the details of his ardor from afar as he works up the courage to approach the object of his desire. He repeats his mantra, "I love you," aloud, but never within her hearing distance, believing that one day she will catch him, discover his true feelings, and return them in kind. Emil is like a schoolboy in the throes of first love as he goes on about the unseen Tessie, glorifying her beauty, her charm, and her real estate sales acumen. As the director of the local funeral home, he has the inside track on knowing when a house may become available and, despite questioning whether or not it is ethical to do so, Emil tips off Tessie, thinking it may give him an advantage with her. However, he is unable to transfer the strong feelings in his heart and mind into words or action and, in the poignant end, laments the road not taken.

The hard-boiled jewel thief protagonist of the second monologue (Power) justifies her unusual career in her soliloquy. You see, she is not just your run-of-the-mill jewel thief; she steals from the body of the deceased as it lies in repose during the viewing. We meet Mac when she is going back home to the Midwest from Los Angeles for her grandmother's funeral, hell-bent on retrieving from the corpse a ring which she feels is rightfully hers. The ring represents much more than a piece of coveted jewelry. Mac is the black sheep of her wealthy, dysfunctional family; she cannot win their approval or affection, but she believes that living well is the best revenge. She hopes that spiriting away the prized ring will dispel the family ghosts that haunt her on the road taken.

The final monologue differs from the other two in that the character we meet is actually mourning the loss of someone dear to her. Virginia (Krstansky) has lost her husband Ed and is struggling to figure out how to put her life back together in the face of numerous, unexpected challenges that accompany that tragic occurrence. She is excitable, almost to the point of manic, as she recounts the chain of events which revealed, unbeknownst to her, that Ed was quite the wheeler dealer. Left with massive debt, beholden to a mélange of unsavory characters, and stripped of her illusions, Virginia is forced to look at how her own failings contributed to her dire situation. At the same time, she learns that one of her personal traits, viewed pejoratively by her husband, may be just the asset she needs to inadvertently rescue herself – along with a little help from an old friend – and decide on a new path.  

Although the three characters never share the stage and do not know each other personally, there are threads that tie them and their stories together loosely. Each of the monologues is set in the same funeral home and references are made to some of the same people. For example, Emil makes mention of the passing of the town's oldest resident Nettie James at 103, who then turns out to be Mac's grandmother. A different genus of flower figures prominently in each story and becomes part of the scenic design projected on the upstage wall. More importantly, Emil and Mac both carry a secret that weighs heavily on them and drives their actions. Conversely, when Virginia discovers Ed's secrets, the knowledge changes her life as much as, if not more than, his death.

While it is not obvious from the start that all three stories will have a twist, we come to expect it as coincidences crop up. However, knowing that there will be a twist does not detract from the monologues, nor does it mean that the nature of the twists is expected. Hatcher's ability to attract and hold our attention in Three Viewings is a credit to his adept writing and the solid construction of the three stories, individually and collectively. As a director, Petosa is a treasure and understands the value of drawing out every nuance of the playwright's stories by working collaboratively with the actors, appreciating and including their take on their roles. The subject matter would seem to dictate dramatic content, but Hatcher achieves a wonderful balance between comedy and tragedy – kind of like real life.   

  

Photo credit: Andrew Brilliant/Brilliant Pictures (Joel Colodner, Adrianne Krstansky, Christine Power)

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