You're Invited to 'Our Son's Wedding' at Gloucester Stage

Our Son's Wedding by Donna DeMatteo

Directed by Eric C. Engel

Featuring Perry Ojeda, Eric Rasmussen, Marina Re, Roger Serbagi

Production Stage Manager, Kayla G. Sullivan

Set Design, Eric Levenson

Costume Design, Miranda Kau

Lighting Design, Deb Sullivan

Sound Design, Nathan Leigh

Performances through June 24

Box office 978-281-4433 or www.GloucesterStage.org

As part of its mission to introduce new plays that explore current societal and personal conditions, Gloucester Stage Company presents the World Premiere of Our Son's Wedding by Donna DeMatteo. An Italian-American plumber and his wife journey from the Bronx to the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Boston for their son's wedding to another man. Coincidentally, the Massachusetts Legislature meets this week in Constitutional Convention to determine the fate of the so-called Marriage Amendment that would dissolve the right to same sex marriage in this Commonwealth.

The only politics involved in this play are the politics of love and marriage. From the moment their voices are first heard offstage, arguing over the correct way to insert the card key into the hotel room door, Angelo and Mary are locked in a struggle for power and control within their relationship. He comes in like a roaring lion, hostile and swearing about everything, including the "pinkness" of the room. She is steady and matter-of-fact, but parries his attacks like someone who has heard it all before. It is quite clear that Angelo does not want to be here, that he is uncomfortable with his son's sexuality, and although Mary tells him he can choose to leave, he knows it is a Hobson's choice. DeMatteo does an excellent job of introducing these two characters and Roger Serbagi and Marina Re inhabit them quickly.

When their son Michael (Perry Ojeda) shows up moments later, the discomfort between the two men is palpable. Michael is restive and begins to rant about David (his intended) failing to pay attention to his preferences for decorating the reception hall. An agitated and nervous Angelo leaves the young man with his mother so she can deal with his meltdown. What begins as a tirade about the color white (which isn't really a color at all, according to Michael, the decorator), takes a circuitous but surprisingly logical route, via Good Friday and Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrows Church, to really being about inclusion and taking control within his relationship.

Subsequent to advising her son, Mary is confronted by Angelo who sees her in a new, unpleasant light. He calls her a series of names like terrorist, devil, and snake, but she claims that she is a mouse who has to live by her wits to protect her son. After much bickering, they agree to sit quietly, listening to "Stardust Melody" wafting in from the next room. This is one of a handful of scenes in the play when the actors are not speaking, but the playwright moves the story ahead with their thoughts or actions. Angelo doesn't know what is about to hit him, but the audience waits for the other shoe to drop.

Mary breaks the silence by reminding her husband of the events of Good Friday in April, 1980, when Mikey got beaten up by his Little League teammates and Angelo was unfaithful with Theresa Quatroformaggio when he went to her house to fix a leak. He can't figure out what this has to do with anything 25 years later, so Mary connects the dots for him. He wasn't thinking about her or their son when he cheated, just like David wasn't thinking about Mikey when he made his decorating decisions. Yet she was thinking of Angelo when she got back at him by spending four and a half hours in a motel with his competition, Stan the Roto-Rooter Man.

Befuddled and bothered by this disclosure, Angelo collapses into a chair while Mary goes to take a shower. In another mime scene, Serbagi is masterful as he uses the sash from his bathrobe to tie an ice pack atop his head and then rifles his wife's handbag in search of the motel receipt. In the midst of this, David (Eric Rasmussen) knocks on the door. He and the father have an altercation, but eventually come to an understanding as David (the therapist) says, "Why do you think Mike is with me? Because I'm like you, only I also have communication skills." Countering Mary's advice to Michael, Angelo gives David some insight into his son's feelings and makes some suggestions for David to resolve their dispute.

Husband and wife still have some work to do to resolve their own dispute and achieve a better balance of power, but this behind-closed-doors scrutiny of the two couples shows that they have more in common than it may seem at first blush. Most people learn how to be in a relationship from watching their parents and DeMatteo illustrates that by having Michael follow in his mother's footsteps, leading him to find a man like his father. Angelo and Mary are able to learn a thing or two from the love and commitment between David and Michael, as well. Love is love, and it can lift you up or knock you down, gender notwithstanding. Gay or straight, ain't love grand!

Artistic Director Eric C. Engel has put together a delightful production, from Eric Levenson's plush Ritz suite (very pink), to Miranda Kau's snazzy wedding attire, to the accomplished cast. DeMatteo has written characters who have some very recognizable traits, yet they are not stereotypical. Ojeda and Rasmussen represent a broad spectrum of gay male behaviors, some of which are cliche, but they are charming and funny and never one-dimensional. Serbagi and Re effectively demonstrate the growth and evolution that Angelo and Mary go through as a result of their disagreements and revelations. Engel establishes the perfect pace and draws out all the humor and poignancy with a good balance. Our Son's Wedding is just the ticket for the month of June.

 

 

 

 

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