Review: 'NIGHT, MOTHER CONTINUES AT THE KANSAS CITY ACTOR'S THEATRE AT CITY STAGE IN KANSAS CITY

Thought-provoking, 'NIGHT, MOTHER sheds new light on a subject that few want to talk about, and no one wants to face head-on, suicide. 'NIGHT, MOTHER a play by Marsha Norman and directed by Sidonie Garrett for the Kansas City Actor's Theatre continues at the City Stage in Union Station through January 26.

Garrett States in the Director's Notes that she wanted to tell this story because she lost a friend to suicide and never knew "why". Garrett masterfully directs this unique play which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1983 and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Drama. She went on to say in the Director's Notes, "This story continues to be important and impactful 37 years after it was first performed...Every life is a unique journey and those who live on and mourn can't necessarily understand anyone else's life's journey by knowing "why" it ended."

'NIGHT, MOTHER opened on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre in March of 1983 and closed after 380 performances in February of 1984. The cast then moved it to off-Broadway to The Westside Theatre for 54 performances. On Broadway, the play received four Tony Award nominations: Best Play, Best Actress in a Play for Kathy Bates, Best Actress in a play for Anne Pitoniak, and Best Director.

The play opens with Jesse, a divorced woman living with her mother, enters the stage and greets her mother then quickly asking where her late father's gun is located, telling her mother that they need it for protection. It is only after locating the gun that she shares with her mother her true intentions, to take her own life at the end of the evening. The play is a prolific look at why she feels she has no other alternative than to shoot herself and how she has planned the dreadful action with every detail finely mapped out, including what her mother should say to the police and anyone else that asks about what took place that evening.

Jan Rogge is outstanding in the role of Thelma, Jesse's mother. The only true response to her characterization would be OMG what a brilliant performance. She effortlessly changes emotions from light-hearted to sincere fear of losing her daughter, to confusion on what to do and how to prevent the inevitable. She has previously appeared in numerous Kansas City Actor's Theatre productions and has appeared with the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, The Unicorn Theatre, and The Spinning Tree Theatre among others.

Phenomenal is the only way to describe the performance of Cinnamon Schultz as Jesse. In her nonchalant depiction of the character, she makes Jesse come off as confident in her decision and at peace with her plan of shooting herself. She has made several appearances with the Kansas City Actor's Theatre and has also performed with the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, The Coterie, and The New Theatre Restaurant to name a few.

'NIGHT, MOTHER may give you a different insight on the person committing the act and the people around them that it effects. 'NIGHT, MOTHER continues through January 26. To purchase tickets online go to www.kcactors.org.

Photos courtesy of Kansas City Actor's Theatre.

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