Review: MRS. LOMAN IS LEAVING at ACT

Dear Readers, like many, I love a good rollicking backstage comedy.  One of those plays within a play where we get to peek behind the stage and check out the antics happening beyond.  The classic “Noises Off” for example has always been one of my favorites.  Now, along comes this new work from Katie Forgette, “Mrs. Loman is Leaving”, currently at ACT, and while certainly having more than a few funny moments, for a show that makes it very clear to be focused on the oft forgotten Mrs. Loman, and women in general, the resolution of her story arc felt a bit rushed and unsatisfying.

In this play about a play, we’re at an Off-Off-Broadway production of “Death of a Salesman” where Joanne (Alexandra Tavares), a woman who’s been away from the theater for some time in order to put her husband through law school and raise a family, has come back to acting to tackle the matriarch of the Loman family.  It’s opening night and Joanne is confronted by several obstacles surrounding her comeback performance, not the least of which is a frazzled director, Sam (Nathaniel Tenenbaum), trying to make his own comeback, an elderly lead, George (R. Hamilton Wright), who can’t seem to consistently remember his lines but can certainly remember stories from his glory days, a no nonsense producer, Sheila (Shaunyce Omar), who’s determined to make this a hit, and Penny (Jonelle Jordan), the crazed stage manager who’s barely holding the whole thing together.  And if all that weren’t enough, Joanne just got a text from her husband that puts her entire world into a tailspin.

Forgette’s play certainly provides the laughs, even if some of the references felt rather dated (do people other than nerds like me really remember who Don Rickles and Phyllis Diller are?).  But my biggest qualm is that in a show that repeatedly refences the theme of a woman overcoming being brushed aside as an afterthought, whether that’s the fictitious Mrs. Loman or our heroine Joanne, the denouement of Joanne’s troubles, and in fact her journey towards that end, seem to come either through comedic mistakes or are easily and casually handed to her at the end.  As much as we root for her, I don’t feel we saw much in the way of growth or her earning those resolutions.  And while I’m glad the character comes out on top (spoiler alert, not that you couldn’t guess she would), her receipt of those triumphs left me a little wanting. 

The cast tackles the laughs quite well.  Wright handles this lovable aging diva with grace and manages a fantastic transition from a problem in the story to the straight man trying to offer solutions quite well.  And Tenenbaum turns in some gut busting moments as the questionably talented director.

But this show is not so much about the boys as it is about the ladies, and the ladies bring in much of the funny and shine.  Omar is a delight as the always in constant control producer but then also brings in some wonderful sweetness when she pulls double duty as the hallucination of Joanne’s dead sister.  Jordan, from the top brings in some fun manic energy to her character and delivers some super funny moments.  But it’s Tavares who truly shines in the piece.  If you’ve seen her in anything about town, you know she’s amazing and can handle the drama, but her comedic chops are no slouch either and she brings one of the best portrayals of someone who’s been temporarily robbed of her senses. 

Even with my plot qualms, and the fact that the setup is a little convoluted and takes a little too long to get there, once it gets rolling the show is certainly a fun one.  And so, with my three-letter rating system, I give “Mrs. Loman is Leaving” at ACT a funny enough for a light diversion YAY-.  And one final note, could we please abandon the need for plays these days to end in an impromptu dance party.  It just feels thirsty and lazy.

“Mrs. Loman is Leaving” performs at ACT through October 27th.  For tickets or information visit them online at www.ACTTheatre.org.

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