Review: ArtsWest's MOTHERS AND SONS Lives Up to Its Potential

I was fortunate enough to see Tyne Daly in Terrence McNally's "Mothers and Sons" when it was on Broadway. So when I heard that ArtsWest was putting up a production of the show from one of my favorite playwrights, starring Suzy Hunt and Evan Whitfield, already some of my favorite actors in town, and Jason Sanford, who's quickly becoming another one of my favorites, and directed by Makaela Pollock, who's quickly becoming one of my favorite directors in town, I was hopeful to say the least. But even with all that promise in one show it can all still go horribly wrong especially after you've seen it done by an icon. Well, fortunately for me, and for you Dear Readers who need to get out to see this one, every single ounce of hopeful promise and potential I had in my heart before seeing this production was lived up to and then some in a show that succeeds on so many levels brilliantly.

The show centers on the unexpected visit of Katherine (Hunt) to the New York apartment of her late son Andre's former lover Cal (Whitfield) and Cal's new husband Will (Sanford) and their son Bud (Isaac Spence). Katherine claims her visit is to drop off something of Andre's for Cal but as the night wears on we find she's after more than just a delivery, a revelation even she wasn't aware of.

It's a fairly basic premise but super relevant to social issues of today and made fascinating by the amazing dialog of McNally. It's one of the reasons I love McNally's work so much is his ability to create dialog that never sounds forced or unnatural. And that honesty of words is beautifully carried over by director Pollock and the cast into the honesty and investment in their characters. Each one is completely entrenched in the world they portray and what's even better, all of them are listening and invested in the other people on stage with them. The show has so many monologue moments where one character is making the main point that it could easily fall into a series of single performances but each actor is totally present for what the others are doing and saying and that makes a show like this (and really any show) go beyond good writing and into a stellar production.

Hunt is closed off and reserved one minute and leaving it all on the stage the next giving a performance that has nothing to fear from that of the Broadway diva I saw before. And even as good as her own delivery is what truly makes her stand apart from some actors is her listening reactions to those around her and that is so evident in her performance here. Whitfield and Sanford too are absolutely immersed in the world and so grounded and honest in their characters and the characters around them making their performances equal Hunt's. Even Spence as their young son nails the precociousness of youth without ever taking it to the cloying or overdone and made for a truly likable kid.

And to all that goodness we add in even more with the beautiful set from Christopher Mumaw and stunningly real lighting and sound from Ryan Dunn and Kyle Thompson giving us an all around great production of a fantastic show. So with my three letter rating system I give ArtsWest's "Mothers and Sons" a truly affected YAY+. Yes, affected. Bring the tissues. You have been warned.

"Mothers and Sons" performs at ArtsWest through February 11th. For tickets or information contact the ArtsWest box office at 206-938-0339 or visit them online at www.artswest.org.

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