BWW Review/Interview: ORDINARY PEOPLE by Davidson Community Players

ORDINARY PEOPLE

Davidson Community Players and Davidson LifeLine, thru a partnership with an adult education institute, DavidsonLearns present the mental health/suicide awareness stage play, Ordinary People. Ordinary People is based on the book by Judith Guest and the Academy award-winning film adaptation, directed by Robert Redford and staring Mary Tyler Moore, Donald Sutherland, Judd Hirsch and Timothy Hutton. Ordinary People is centered around the events associated with the post-suicide attempt of a troubled teen, Conrad Jetter, portrayed by actor, Wolfe Edwards. "Trapped in the aftermath of a family tragedy-struggling to move past 'what was' and rediscover their footing, this once perfect family fights to reclaim its bright future."

In 2012, the small town of Davidson (a suburb of Charlotte and home to 11,000 people) experienced five suicides and twelve suicide attempts. After the losses, a group of concerned citizens conducted a series of meetings to discuss and implement a plan of intervention/prevention from suicide and mental illness. From those meetings the Davidson LifeLine was launched. Its mission is to support suicide prevention and mental health awareness in the community.

For 50 years Davidson Community Players (DCP) has been serving its mission to entertain, enrich and encourage community participation in the dramatic arts. Each season features a dramatic play designed to delve into important and timely issues and to challenge or stretch the audience in new ways. This season, three years after a tough year for the community, DCP tackles mental health issues in Ordinary People.

I had the pleasure to attend the opening night performance of Ordinary People on February 26, at Armour Street Theater, in Davidson, NC. Even though it was a cold night, with the threat of an ice freeze forecasted, a good number of theater patrons blazed the cold to support the local thespians. I believe Wolfe Edwards, who portrayed the troubled teen, Conrad, did an excellent job transitioning from being caught in the middle of his parents' marital issues, while trying to maintain a balanced social relationship with his peers, as well as fulfilling his medical and mental requirement in keeping appointments with his therapist. The underlying source of Conrad's and his parents' Cal Jarrett (portrayed by actor, Bill Reilly) and Beth Jarrett (portrayed by Elyse Williams) mental disparities was the death of Buck, the eldest child, in a boating accident. In my opinion, the most mentally-challenged of the three was the mother, Beth. She seemed to be angry with Conrad (who attempted suicide) because he was left behind instead of Buck (the high-spirited, lovable one). And, she appear to resent her husband, Cal, because he was very concerned about Conrad and tried to ensure that he (Conrad) was healthy and safe. In my opinion, Beth was very selfish and more concerned with public perception and traveling to exotic places. I also believe that the play did a good job stressing the importance of therapy in tragic situations such as this. At one point, the father, Cal, even attended a therapy session. However, the person that needed it the most, Beth, did not even attempt to deal with her issues because she didn't believe she had one. Isn't that how it usually works?

My only disappointment was the handling of Conrad's friend, Karen, who committed suicide. I thought that more "emotion" should have been displayed when the news was delivered to Conrad of her tragic end. It should have brought the audience to the point of emotion, leaving us reaching for a tissue, but it was quickly inserted and the actors quickly moved to the next scene. Overall, I believe the storyline was effectively brought to life by the cast.

In addition to seeing Ordinary People, I also had the pleasure to interview its director, Debra Baron, who is also the artistic director of Davidson Community Players and Bill Reilly, the actor that portray the Dad, Calvin Jetter.

DEBRA BARON:

Debra has an extensive theatrical resume that spans over 25 years and includes over 130 directorial credits. She is the artistic director at Davidson Community Players.

Where are you from originally?

I am originally from the New York area. I lived in Manhattan for 20 plus years. I also lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota prior to relocating here. There, I worked at the Children's Theatre Company, the largest children's theater company in the United States for about five years. I was the theater arts training director and directed all of their senior and high school shows.

What made you relocate to North Carolina?

Honestly, I love the area. I've lived in a number of places as so many theater personnel do - we all tend to often have a little gypsy in us and go where the work is. It takes a lot of fortitude to live in Minneapolis with the weather. I love the weather here in North Carolina. Plus, it gave me the opportunity to be close to family and friends.

What is your background as far as theater is concerned?

I have a very mixed background. A lot of my work was done in education. I've worked in both professional and community theater. My goal was never to direct on Broadway. Most of my work was done outside of New York because people were excited to work with a New York director.

How long have you been in your current position...the artistic director at Davidson Community Players?

I started last year, April 1, so almost a year now.

What attracted you to Ordinary People?

It is a well-written script. It's character- and relationship-driven in opposed to event-driven. The depth of the work appealed to me. I also like the structure. It has an almost cinematic sensibility to it. It wasn't a classic three-act box set show. It moves fluidly from one event to another almost like a dream, but not quite.

From your perspective, how will Ordinary People impact the Davidson Community?

I am still learning about the community. I was not a part of the history that led to the selection of this show. However, theater hold lots of value in lots of different ways for different people. For this show in particular, I believe people will leave talking about their lives and their relationships. Although suicide is part of the overall spine that holds the story together, I do think that all the ways in which we learn and struggle to communicate with one another, that we learn and struggle to support each other, and the way we listen and find our way when things get messy...I think all those things are articulated beautifully in this script.

I am really impressed that this play focus on teenagers, how do you feel about working with a younger sector?

There are five teen roles in the play. I'm excited for people to see this very talented cast. I believe that other young people will come because their friends are in the show. Word of mouth is an important factor. The cast feels good about the work they are doing so their friends and family will engage and support them.

What do you feel are the strong points about the cast of Ordinary People?

It's a cast that is courageous, generous, and willing to be vulnerable on stage in the most human of ways. They work together and support each other beautifully. We have much laughter during rehearsal as well as some very serious digging deeper moments. It's been a lovely balance. I am thrilled to be working with this cast.

What would you like the audience to receive from this production?

I just hope it resonates with the audience on a personal level. It is all about the "experience". I hope they will see that there are all types of solutions to all sort of problems. I'm thrilled with the discussions that will generate after the show and for making my introduction into the community.

BILL REILLY:

Bill Reilly is an actor and one of the managers at Davidson College Bookstore. He studied acting at the University of Rhodes Island with a double major of English and Theater. Bill can be reach via Twitter: @ThatBillReilly

Can you tell me about the production itself?

I was on the play reading committee last year. We were looking for something socially relevant. It had been in the news that there had been a local trend of rising suicide attempts in the area. This was something that spoke to many of us personally and very deeply. So we decided to research scripts dealing with this issue. As far as community theater is concerned, we were looking for a script that dealt with it from a family perspective. Many of us had seen the movie, but when we read the script we found that it was not as dated as we thought it would be. The family issue and how they were handling it internally was relatively consistent.

How is the play socially relevant to the community needs?

Typically, when Davidson Community Players choose a season, they look for something socially relevant for a couple of the spots. So this was chosen for their Winter/Early Spring season. They usually solicit the help of community agencies that have a vested interest in that particular subject matter as well. We are integrating this production with support groups and several classes to include Q&As after some of the selected performances where the audiences can interact with the cast. We were responding to what we felt were the community needs.

What role do you portray in "Ordinary People"?

I play Calvin Jarrett, the father of the troubled teen, the role most famously played by Donald Sutherland in the movie. The script is slightly different from the movie version.

What interested you in auditioning for this role?

Again, I really like the script, how it consistently dealt with what families go through when they have a troubled teen who has attempted suicide is actually close to my own experience. I was drawn to how it consistently dealt with what troubled teens feel concerning the issue of suicide. Acting is therapeutic to me so I could relate it to my own personal journey.

Do you have any previous acting experience?

In 1996, I took acting classes at the University of Rhode Island. I had not acted since 1998. Afterwards, I basically took a 15-year leave of absence. In 2013, I auditioned on a dare for Leading Ladies. I actually got the lead, paired against Matt Merrell, the Executive Director of Davidson Community Players. It really gave me the "acting bug". I don't think I've had two weeks off since.

What are some of the other roles in the play?

Elyse Williams portrays Beth Jarrett, the mother who was played by Mary Tyler Moore in the movie. She is viewed as a "cold-hearted" response to her son, a very traditional upper-class "wasp", like nothing-is-wrong-with-us country-club mentality. The play gives us the opportunity to challenge that perception. Wolfe Edwards, an 18-years old, portrays the son, Conrad, who just got out of an 8-month stent in a mental hospital following a suicide attempt. This happened a year after the he lost his older brother, Buck, who was drowned in a boating accident. The troubled teenager takes on the guilt for his brother's death. Conrad also have some friends from the neighborhood, a girlfriend, a friend from the hospital and a psychiatrist, portrayed by Frances Dell Bendert. We actually changed gender lines in the psychiatrist role, it was originally portrayed by Judd Hirsch in the movie. She does a fantastic job. You see the events of the family contrasted by Conrad's journey in therapy. The scenes consistently contrast until the end.

What significant message would you like your audience to walk away with?

From my own personal standpoint...make sure you value each other...especially your children...no matter how you perceive them. Your children are different so they should be treated according to their individual strengths. This point is brought up in many times in the show. For instance, the mother really loved Buck, the son that died, because he was outgoing, "the life of the party", and charming. In contrast, Conrad was more introverted, a little sarcastic and it comes out many times that maybe he felt devalued.

**Ordinary People will be performed by Davidson Community Players, February 26-March 15 at Armour Street Theatre, 307 Armour Street, Davidson, NC. Website: www.DavidsonCommunityPlayers.org

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