Review: THE CEMETERY CLUB at TheatreWorks

THE CEMETERY CLUB opened this weekend at TheatreWorks, under the direction of Terry Twyman. Written by Ivan Menchell, the play premiered in 1990 (wow, that's 26 years ago!). This Cloud 9 production only runs through Nov 20, so mark your calendar.

CEMETERY CLUB, as the name implies, is a grim subject treated with a smile. We're eager to join a club, right? But a cemetery club? And yet, in this entertaining play, three ladies who have lost their husbands are happy to join, maybe too happy. Every month, they meet at the cemetery to mourn their losses, tend the gravesites, and recall old times. As time goes by, their sadness wanes and turns to pleasant recollection, then acceptance, then humor, until the question arises . . . what next? Their wounds have healed, their grief abated . . . so why keep meeting? Isn't it about time to resign from the Club? Or at least join a better one?

Ida, (Glenda Mace), was married a long time and remembers it fondly. But she's also ready for a new chapter. In fact, Ida always enjoyed "having someone around" and is ready for . . . well, for something. She looks great, feels great. What's wrong with a little company? Lucille (Carol Eldred Twyman) has taken a different tack. She's been chasing men from the moment her husband died. And all these men are chasing her too, she claims, while showing off her new fur coat. Lucille is in the fast lane, dating, flirting, breaking hearts. But it's funny . . . where are all these guys? They're not in the play. Why is Lucille still a member of the Club?

And then we have Doris (Wren Kennedy), whose beloved Alan has been gone four years. She doesn't really care for the present, and won't consider the future, as she sighs over Alan's gravestone. Doris can't move on, won't move on, and the idea of meeting someone new is horrifying. Not surprisingly, this one is determined to hold the Club together.

These contrasts furnish lively energy for CEMETERY CLUB. The three ladies tease, cajole, and support one another. But soon life starts pulling them in different directions, and it begins to chafe. A backstory emerges: their friend Selma is planning a wedding, her third or fourth, no one can remember. A wedding! How wonderful. There will be new dresses and outfits. And wine. And dancing! No, we're not invited to this party, but it's a frothy backdrop that presents a challenge to the Club. Ida is excited about the event, Lucille a bit cynical, and Doris can only remember the wonderful dancing skills of her late husband.

And if the wedding is not threatening enough, a man shows up. A real one. The affable Sam (Vince Lemorrocco) begins an innocent friendship with Ida, which may flicker into romance. This doesn't sit well with Doris and Lucille, of course. Sam might break the club rules! And so, with the wedding coming up and Sam on the scene (and on stage), the ladies begin to challenge one another, and dig deeper with sharper cuts. But the script is light and humorous, maintaining a good rhythm throughout. As life pulls the ladies in different directions, away from the warm safety of the Club, you'll want to find out what happens. And you'll enjoy the notable skills of each actress (Sam too!) as they bring to life the characters in this fine tale about changes in the afternoon of life.

---Austin McLellan

To post a comment, you must register and login.