Review: West End Players Guild Presents A WOMAN'S PLACE

An eclectic collection of one act plays by the likes of Susan Glaspell (Trifles), David Mamet (Australia), William Saroyan (Hello Out There), and Harold Pinter (Ashes to Ashes), A Woman's Place fulfills the promise of its title by placing women in key roles in each of these unique pieces. The West End Players Guild celebrate their 100th season with a fine production of this work, and solid direction and performances help to maintain interest despite the seemingly disparate nature of these four plays.

Trifles is an intriguing look at a crime scene in a rural farmhouse, while Australia is a quick blast of Mamet humor filtered through his uncanny knack for conversational dialogue. Hello Out There follows a convicted rapist as he attempts to escape from the jail cell he's being held in while an angry mob gathers outside. Ashes to Ashes is pure Pinter, with clever, twisting dialogue that works to conceal the identities and motives of the male and female characters engaged in conversation. Is this a man and his wife? Or, is this a murderer and his victim? Or perhaps, a therapist and his patient?

A cast of six take on all of the various roles that are presented, and all are given a chance to shine individually as well. Chuck Lavazzi is at his best as Mr. Hale, a man who happens upon a farmhouse where a murder may or may not have occurred, and winds up explaining the details to investigators. Nancy Lubowitz brings depth and a believable accent to her portrayal of Rebecca, the troubled woman at the center of the discussion in Ashes to Ashes, and Sean Ruprecht-Belt is a splendid contrast as the confused and amused Devlin. Susan Elaine Rasch has a blast as the drunken and loquacious Woman A in the Mamet scene, and her wild convolutions are a riot. Anthony Wininger is strong as a smooth talking gambler, and possible rapist, named Photo Finish, who tries to charm his way out of his predicament. Elissa Schrader brings a naive innocence to the part of Ethel, the cook in the jailhouse who falls for him hook, line and sinker.

Directors Renee Sevier-Monsey and Carrie Phinney do a good job of making these contrasting elements pull together fairly cohesively. Sevier-Monsey's drab set design, which is mostly utilized for Trifles, communicates the gray desolation that farm life can become, especially during the winter months. The other pieces play out simply with tables and chairs, or less, to set the scene. Anthony Anselmo's lighting scheme comes to the forefront on Hello Out There, with a lighting effect projecting the bars of the jail cell. Russ Bettlach's costumes are unobtrusive, and act to suit the characters for the most part.

The West End Players Guild's engaging production of A Woman's Place continues through November 14, 2010.

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