BWW Reviews: Washington Stage Guild Goes Contemporary With Symbolism-Filled PEN

At its core, David Marshall Grant's Pen - which premiered Off-Broadway in 2006 and is now in production at Washington Stage Guild - is a traditional family drama, but with a twist. Mother, father, and son are at a breaking point in their relationships and must come to terms - whether they like it or not - with their past, present, and future. Letting go, holding on? What to do?

Long Island-based Helen (Emily Townley) and Jerry (Michael Russotto) are divorced and their son, Matt (Chris Stinson) is a high school senior ready to embark on a college education. That is, of course, if his arrest record doesn't get in the way. Helen is a study in contrasts. Staunchly politically liberal, brash, strong-willed and opinionated, she relies on Matt for assistance with everyday life (she has Multiple Sclerosis and uses a wheelchair). She's all but obliterated photographical evidence of her old life - the time that she could walk and the time she was happily married - from her mind, but it's clear that she's frustrated about her predicament and would love to return to how it was. She shares that frustration the most with Matt. She doesn't want to let Matt go - not for a brief few hours at a movie and certainly not to USC, clear across the country. Matt, however, (with his father's assistance) is covertly applying early decision to USC and intends to flee Long Island in his brand new car if given the opportunity. Yet, because of his strong but enormously challenging relationship with his mother, he feels some guilt about potentially leaving her and tries to keep his plans to himself. Jerry, on the other hand, is moving on with his life and seemingly is over Helen (the feeling isn't shared) and his past. He's now engaged and plans to leave Long Island with his soon-to-be wife for California.

When things unexpectedly come to a head over the holiday season (the details of which will not be spoiled here), all three need to learn what it means to move on, but not necessarily forget everything that's happened. Considering duty to one's family and the need for personal satisfaction and happiness and how to balance the two is never easy. Just as the world is chaotic outside (it's 1969-1970 and the political climate, on account of the Vietnam War, is anything but "normal"), it's chaos inside the Bayer's home. Don't let the sparse and modern, clean decorations fool you (set design by Shirong Gu). It's messy.

Yet - though it may seem so from the description above - Grant's play is not a straight-forward, run of the mill story of a broken family. At the end of a pretty standard Act One, a shift occurs and the threads of realism break down. And yes, Helen's cherished pen (as in the writing instrument) is at the center of it. At first, it might be difficult to suspend disbelief about what happens next and just go on the journey that the playwright has set out for Helen and Matt especially. It's also entirely possible that Grant gets a little carried away with heavy-handed symbolism about what it means to be in control of one's life from that point out. That aside, the key takeaway is this. Grant essentially has a play that has nearly every plot point you can find in a melodrama - illness, divorce, a challenging teenager, drunkenness, political and religious debate, infidelity and more. While he interweaves all of these elements quite well, the way he mixes realism with elements that are most decidedly not realistic or even fathomable, sets his play apart from the numerous others that deal with similar tropes, and allows him to concentrate on and explore one theme.

At Washington Stage Guild (in a rarer, but not unheard of production of a play written in the 21st century), the process of making this play a compelling and engaging one for the audience is helped by a very strong cast and director. Director Kasi Campbell handles the shifts in tone beautifully and ensures we don't tread into campy territory too much in the family fight scenes.

Townley, who is both vulnerable and strong at the same time, is perfectly suited to play Helen. Townley always impresses me in everything she does and this performance is no exception. Whether spewing the many enraged one-liners Grant gives to her character, lashing out at herself and others on account of her illness, or expressing emotional heartbreak with a glance or two on New Year's Eve (particularly in the touching final moments of the play) - she makes clear who her character is under the surface (and apart from the wheelchair), complexities and all. She uses that understanding to guide every moment of her intelligent and nuanced performance and it pays off very, very well.

Together with Stinson, the two present the mother/son love-hate relationship in a believable way throughout - something that is even present in the more mystical scenes. Stinson holds his own against Townley, which is no small feat. On his own, he's a believable aggravated teenager, one whose family situation is anything but steady. Russotto, as Jerry, is the quintessential man seeking a new life - sure on the outside, but probably not so much on the inside. While his character is less richly drawn than Townley's, he too is quite successful in delivering a performance that allows us to see all of Jerry's inner-complexities. This is most evident in a bar scene with a blonde (the specifics of which, again, will not be spoiled here) and in the final moments of the play.

Solid acting, solid direction, a unique and emotional play - this is one to see.

Running Time: 2 hours and 10 minutes with one intermission.

Washington Stage Guild's area premiere production of "Pen" plays through November 23, 2014 at the Undercroft Theatre at the Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church - 900 Massachusetts Avenue, NW in Washington, DC. Tickets can be purchased online.

Graphic: Courtesy of Washington Stage Guild.

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