Review: THE WHALE is a Difficult Tale of Grief, Regret at Garden Theatre

For most people, it is extremely difficult to watch another person struggle, especially when it comes to doing the most mundane of tasks. That could be why it is so challenging to watch Beth Marshall Presents and the Garden Theatre's jarring production of THE WHALE, directed by Rob Winn Anderson and running through April 3rd in Winter Garden. The play, by award-winning writer Samuel D. Hunter, tells the story of morbidly obese shut-in Charlie, and his struggles to regain control of what is left of his life.

For years, Charlie has been building walls that keep him isolated from those that love him, and from dealing with his own tragedies. Set in rural Idaho, the theme of isolation is a recurring one in THE WHALE, with each of the five characters dealing with their own unique form of loneliness and separation. As an audience, you yearn for them to somehow make connections with one another, but they are so uniquely damaged that it is frustratingly easier said than done.

Local legend Michael Wanzie plays Charlie with the aid of an extremely padded sweatsuit. Charlie works as an online college English professor who has a particular fascination with Herman Melville's MOBY DICK. After years of grief and eating his pain, Charlie is no longer able to get around on his own, and requires a walker just to stand up. His friend and over-protective nurse Liz (the wonderful Jamie Middleton) drops in daily with groceries, meals, and medicine, and to check on Charlie's deteriorating health.

As it appears that Charlie's death is increasingly imminent, he is visited by a Mormon missionary, Elder Thomas played by a wide-eyed Anthony Pyatt Jr., and when Charlie says that he is interested in talking to him, Liz is shocked and angered in light of their shared history with the faith.

Another unexpected visitor upends Charlie's normally reclusive days; his angry teenage daughter Ellie, played by the always remarkable Rachel Comeau. Though it's been 15 years since he has seen her, Charlie is desperate to establish a connection with his obviously resentful daughter. Though I am on record as saying that Comeau is one of the best performers in Central Florida, there is very little that even she can do to make redeeming about Ellie. She is a vile, manipulative girl whose hateful words and actions are startling. However, Comeau is so charismatic in the role that you want to find the good in Ellie, even as it becomes increasingly clear that there is none.

Wanzie delivers a full-body performance that is as equally difficult to watch as it is from which to turn away. The pain evident in his face, in his movements, and in his labored, wheezing breath is trying to get through, which only makes his plight that much more affecting. Wanzie's Charlie is immediately sympathetic, and becomes increasingly so as we learn more of his story. The regret that drips from every word and memory is palpable.

As Hunter unfolds the story, new layers and surprises are revealed that take us from fairly flat, stock characters to a nuanced, multi-dimensional world. Though it would be easy to say that the play is about how obesity can impact all aspects of a person's life, the story is much more nuanced, and Charlie's size is simply a byproduct of, and a metaphor for, his larger issues.

Middleton's Liz is the most relatable character in the play. She clearly has suffered tremendously and is trying as hard as she can to fill the hole left behind, but no matter how hard she tries, it never seems to be enough.

Likewise, Pyatt's Elder Thomas is searching for a purpose of his own, and while the actor's earnestness is often charming, his over-the-top interactions with Ellie are out of place from the rest of the dire proceedings.

Though Elder Thomas attempts to connect with Charlie, it is not until his ex-wife Mary, played by Beth Marshall, visits that we see another side of Charlie; a side that shows the slightest glimpse of his former self that was once optimistic and full of life. The grudging comradery that Marshall and Wanzie share is one of the show's few warm moments.

Tom Mangieri's set design of a small, cramped apartment is impressive, but Amy Hadley's odd, frantic lighting choices often lead to bizarre and uncertain endings to scenes.

Ultimately, THE WHALE uncomfortably brings to the surface the devastating impacts of grief, regret, and anger that we would all too often prefer remain hidden. While the performances are all compelling, the characters' natural inability to connect ends up building a wall between them and the audience; perhaps that is by Hunter's design, but it robs the play's jarring conclusion of some of the emotional impact that it should have earned.

To purchase tickets, visit the Garden Theatre's website or call 407-877-GRDN (4736).

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Banner Image: Michael Wanzie and Jamie Middleton. Photo Credit: Patty Wolfe Media Group | The Garden Theatre

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