Summer and Smoke: Body and Soul

Boomerang Theatre Company continues its high-quality work with a solid production of Summer and Smoke, by Tennessee Williams.  The play is a beautiful meditation on frustrated love and desire.  Alma Winemiller (Jane Cortney) is the very prim daughter of Reverend Winemiller (Kurt Elftmann) an Episocopal Minister, and his senile and childish wife (Deborah Carlson).  Although she has a proper suitor in the equally-repressed Roger Doremus (Mac Brydon), Alma is obsessed with her childhood friend John (Jonathan Kells Phillips), who has recently returned to town, and is planning to become a doctor like his father (John Mazurek)- either that or fritter away his time with drinking, gambling, and a certain "tacky thing with a Z in her name", Rosa Gonzales (Beth Ann Leone), whose father (Mel Nieves) owns the nearby casino.  Alma and John attempt to teach each other about their interests- Alma invites John to her reading group where she tries to elevate his mind, John brings Alma out for a picnic on the outskirts of the casino, where he tries to seduce her body.  Both are unsuccessful.  Then that Winter, in a sort of Gift-of-the-Magi-cum-Grease twist, John has prodigally straightened up, and Alma is longing to be bent, but though they've both been liberated from the bonds of their parents' expectations, it's too late to save their romance.  It's an excellent script- Williams later re-wrote it into The Eccentricities of a Nightingale, though, aside from some rather blatant symbolism regarding a chart of anatomy, it's hard to see what he might have wanted to change.  An opening scene with Alma and John as children is removed, as is traditional- though it's in the reading versions, it's usually not included in most playing scripts.

The cast is excellent, led by the luminous Jane Cortney as Alma- every moment of indecision, disappointment, and joy is illuminated in her expressive performance.  Phillips' John is (perhaps appropriately) difficult to get a handle on at first, but matches her intensity by the end.  Deborah Carlson is riveting as Mrs. Winemiller.  Elftmann and Mazurek seem a bit young to play the fathers, though do an excellent job.  All the members of Alma's book club are hilarious, with perfectly drawn characters that are exaggerated but never become caricature (Mac Brydon, Leigh Poulos, Zak Risinger, and Corey Ann Haydu).  Beth Ann Leone does a solid job as the seductive Rosa, inhabiting the role and never condescending, despite Williams' rather stereotypical portrayal.  As her father, on the other hand, Nieves embraces the grotesque . Taylor Adams is a bit too knowing as the coltish Nellie Ewell, though she has some sweet moments.  John Carey is engaging and enjoyable in his one scene as a traveling salesman.

Cailin Heffernan's direction is clear and precise, keeping a fine balance between the comedic and touching moments.  Set design by Nikki Black is evocative and versatile.  Sound design by Megan Henniger is great- switching between naughty ragtime and solemn hymns (though, according to my friend who came with me to the show, perhaps the hymns are not as Episcopal as they might be).

Summer and Smoke plays in repertory with a revival of Eric Overmyer's Native Speech and the world premiere of Colin McKenna's Parking Lot Lonely Heart, both of which I will also be reviewing.

 Summer and Smoke

by Tennessee Williams

 

Boomerang Theatre Company's 10 Anniversary Rep Season

http://www.boomerangtheatre.org

At CenterStage/NY

48 W 21st St, 4th Floor

 Tickets $20 or season pass of $35 to see all three plays.  Purchase online at Theatermania.com or call 212-501-4069 for reservations and information.

 Remaining performances of Summer and Smoke:

Saturday Nov 22, 8pm

Sunday Nov 23, 2:30pm

Thursday, Dec 4, 8pm

Saturday, Dec 6, 8pm

Sunday, Dec 7, 7pm

Tuesday, Dec 9, 8pm

Friday, Dec 12, 8pm

Saturday, Dec 13, 2:30pm

Sunday, Dec 14, 7pm

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