Review: Burbage Theatre Company Sings a Beautiful LOVE SONG

Plays, like anything else, come in all shapes and sizes. There are the extra-long, three hour epics. And there are the much shorter forms, such as one-acts, which can sometimes be just as epic. You can certainly craft an exceptional piece of drama in a short period of time, even something as short as ten minutes. On the other hand, some of these shorter works can feel like a story and a journey cut too short, leaving the audience wanting more, and such is the case with John Kolvenbach's Love Song, currently being presented by Burbage Theatre Company at Aurora Providence.

Kolvenbach's script tells a wonderfully quirky story about four characters who range from instantly recognizable to unique or more than a little strange. At the center is Beane, an eccentric young man who lives a solitary life in his barely-furnished apartment where he has almost no possessions and does little other than sit in his chair staring straight ahead. When Beane arrives at home one night to find a thief attempting to burgle his apartment, his life is thrown into turmoil, but it's a good kind of turmoil, as he falls in love with the fiery and beautiful criminal, Molly. This event and the ensuing change in Beane come as a shock to his sister, Joan, and her husband, Harry, as they try to deal with their own problems and figure out what is really going on with Beane.

While it will be different for every audience member, it was hard not to feel unsatisfied by the way Kolvenbach handled and then ended his script. It all feels very unresolved will leave some viewers wanting more. Wanting to see what Beane's life is like after he makes an all-important decision at the play's end. Wanting to see what happens with Joan and Harry, after we see glimpses of trouble in their little paradise but nothing more. These characters are extremely interesting, entertaining and fun to get to know and watch, it's a shame we aren't given more of their lives and their story. We never really get to know Beane, Joan and Harry, not in any deeper, more meaningful way. Never get to know what really makes them tick or motivates them or why they are who they are. And just when it seems like things are about to get really interesting, the play abruptly ends. Beane's journey is one that, for the audience, ends way too early.

Part of the shame in that comes from Kolvenbach's obvious skill and talent as a writer. His script crackles with electricity as it moves right along, never dragging or becoming tedious. For Joan and Harry, he creates dialogue that feels real and natural, things any married couple might say or talk about. For Beane, Kolvenbach crafts some wonderful moments where the character philosophizes and waxes poetic about everything from turkey sandwiches to the way his sister smells. At times, Beane sounds off-the-rails crazy but there's always something under there, something more meaningful and important, as if he might actually be the sanest one among us. When Beane and Molly tell a story about their first meeting, it's weird and off-putting, in a way, but also beautiful and romantic at the same time. It's the kind of wonderful writing that Kolvenbach gifts to his actors throughout the play.

In this production, those actors are led by director Jeff Church. An actor who has demonstrated his talents on area stages for some time, Church is an equally talented and skillful director. With Love Song, he keeps things simple, which is perfect for this kind of play. There's no unnecessary movement or action, nothing happening that seems out of place or extraneous. Everything the actors do feels truthful and organic, happening in the moment and motivated by the circumstances of that moment. Church keeps his actors truthful as well, there's never any overacting or melodrama, and they always feel like real people reacting in real ways to what's happening around them.

Church's decision to put the audience on two sides of the playing space is a little less successful, but that might be nitpicking. It does create some discomfort for the audience, having to turn and twist to watch things happening to their far right or left. At times, it's a bit like a tennis match, having to either move quickly left-and-right or pick one side and watch only that actor, while missing what the other one is doing. On the other hand, Church for the most part keeps his audience looking exactly where he wants them to put their attention. His staging is ususally very tight and focused, keeping all eyes on the scene and its actors.

Those actors are, in this production, uniformly excellent and well-cast. As Beane, James Lucey brings a wonderful balance of craziness and likeability at the same time. His Beane feels more than a little off, perhaps mentally ill, perhaps worse, but always in a truthful and realistic way, a believable way. It's also a portrayal that his highly sympathetic, even lovable, where the audience roots for Beane and wants to applaud his happiness and see it continue. One minor quibble with Lucey's performance is that it would have been nice to see that happiness create even more of a change in him. Speaking loudly and making his wide eyes even wider doesn't really create enough of a change. It would have been great to see Lucey take that transformation even farther somehow.

While she may not have as much of a journey or transformation as her brother, we do get to see many sides of Beane's sister, Joan, here played by Allison Crews. Crews is a highly talented actress who brings this character to vivd and truthful life. While the character may seem to be a bit one-note at first (at first glance, a cold, tough-as-nails business woman who drinks a lot), Kolvenbach gives her many nuances and layers beyond that, and Crews takes full advantage of those opportunities. She also seems to be having a great time in this role, filling it with an energy and life that makes her a joy to watch in the part.

As Joan's husband, Harry, Jonathan Fisher Jr. gets many of the best and funniest lines. Fisher, like Crews, takes advantage of those wonderful moments and delivers each of them perfectly. His comic timing and delivery are fantastic, as is his chemistry with Crews, which makes them even more fun to watch together. Also sharing a fantastic chemistry is Lucey and Rachael Perry, who plays his newfound love, Molly. The two of them have some wonderful scenes together, with Perry always bringing a great balance of fiery feistiness and innocent playfulness. A big reason why the play works so well is that Lucey and Perry fit their roles so well and work so well together.

There are, though, many reasons why this play works as well as it does, from playwright to director to cast to everyone else involved. Burbage Theatre Company is making excellent use of its new home at Aurora Providence, the one-time home of the Providence Black Repertory Company. It really is a perfect space for theater and it's great to have another skilled group of talented artists using the space once again. If this production is any indication, there will be many more opportunities to see great theater at Aurora in the near future.

Love Song is currently playing in repertory with another play, Red Light Winter. Performances for the upcoming final week are Red Light Winter on Thursday the 3rd at 7pm, Love Song on Friday the 4th at 7pm, Love Song on Saturday the 5th at 2pm, Red Light Winter on Saturday the 5th at 6pm and Love Song on Sunday the 6th at 2pm. All performances are at Aurora Providence, 276 Westminster Street. For more information, visit the company's website at www.burbagetheatre.org.

Pictured: Rachael Perry and James Lucey. Photo Courtesy of Jeff Church/Burbage Theatre Company.

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