Christie Perfetti’s new play Look for the Woman involves four middle-aged brothers who unite after the death of their father and whose lives are further complicated by the return of their estranged mother. The script by Christie Perfetti, which features seven underdeveloped characters and two enticing ones, is brought to life by actors trying hard but who can’t quite elevate the material to a meaningful night of theater.
The play opens with the four brothers at a funeral parlor. The problem right away is that there are not enough major differences between the brothers to make them an intriguing combination of characters. One moment, they all joke around. One moment, they’re all very serious. Had I closed my eyes, I wouldn’t know who was speaking. With dialogue like “You’ve got a vagina mouth” and “Things have been good with me and Greta… since the restraining order was lifted,” the opening scene is a bumpy blend of corny sitcom + raunchy rated-R comedy a la The Hangover, except not as edgy or laugh-out-loud funny. It would have been interesting to see four brothers in the deep, dark mourning phase; instead we get ineffective witty banter.
Enter the women. How do they deal with this plight“ An awkward evening of tea that could have been directed oh-so-much more awkwardly. Two of the sister-in-laws patronize one of the brother’s new girlfriend, a ditzy beauty named Clementine. This is another valid concept that just doesn’t play the way it should. Each line of dialogue is is delivered so forcefully by these actresses, thus destroying any possibility for interesting subtext. I simply see two snotty women being rude to a stranger. I want to see the discomfort, the silence, the looks to one another that show their uneasiness. Even Lynn Mancinelli, who plays Clementine, breezes through dialogue like “I’m just a little pregnant” which is truly hysterical on paper but does not happen naturally on stage.
Lack of reaction amongst the actors plagues the rest of Act I. John Carey’s MJ farts in his brother’s face as he sleeps and then devours a cupcake in one bite. Melanie Ryan’s Jessie acts as if this is completely normal. No facial reactions, no rolling of the eyes. MJ comes across as unlikable and so does Jessie for putting up with this behavior in her own home. Later, Niae Knight’s Noelle brings up the sensitive subject of having a baby with her husband. Instead of a tension-filled moment in which we see how and why the idea of baby bothers Paul Murillo’s Lukey, Murillo instantly begins rambling about a tie. An ongoing sense of conflict is needed so we can understand the effect of one character’s words and actions upon another. Instead, the actors are line-delivering machines who aren’t actively listening.
At the top of the third scene, Stephanie Anne Ervin grabs my attention as Greta. The ex-wife of MJ, Greta is visiting for the funeral. Halfway through the scene, I realize the difference between Ervin’s performance and the rest: she’s vulnerable. Greta is the first character whose journey I’m invested in because Ervin does not play her as a woman who’s got all the answers. She’s not an abrasive, fast-talking know-it-all. Ervin plays a woman who’s flawed and who knows it. She also doesn’t place a hard emphasis on every line like some of the other actors. A handful of subtle deliveries leads to a passionate exclamation of the simple line “I miss you” to Jessie. I genuinely believe how much this woman misses this family because Ervin hasn’t delivered every single line prior with such force. Ervin has a great way of loosening up those on stage with her. She and Ryan engage in the first realistic and endearing conversation of the play -- one dealing with Jessie’s past and her job at PriceChopper.
In Act II, another visitor shakes things up at the post-funeral reception. The boys’ estranged mother Vivienne is played as an abrasive (shocker) and hardened woman by Elizabeth Bove. She is not, however, the second enticing character in Perfett's script about whom I speak. While certainly a powerful presence on stage, the addition of a mean-spirited mother merely gives the audience another person to dislike. At numerous points, Vivienne is so villainous to her sons that it strains credulity. If she abandoned her youngest son when he was just two years old and she is threatening to fire her sons now that she’s running her dead husband’s company… why doesn’t anyone ask this witch to leave the house? As soon as she arrived, I would have said “There’s the door, mom!”
It is actually Michael Borne who brilliantly raises the stakes of the play as his Daryl turns from sweet and frail to scared and unsteady, with something dark lurking underneath the surface. Borne is an absolute joy to watch in this act. In fact, because of his ability to express a wide range of emotion, the best thing about the production becomes finding out what Daryl will do or say next. While everyone else rightfully shuns their mother, Daryl begins exploring his relationship with Vivienne. Borne wears his heart on his sleeve in a mother-son moment that hits home -- perhaps Perfetti should have included more one-on-one scenes as opposed to constantly cramming four plus characters into every scene. In an example of the writing, acting and direction amalgamating exceptionally well, Borne delivers an absorbing monologue about his mother which is completely significant to the situation at hand -- unlike Buck (Ric Sechrest)’s lame monologue about how he got his nickname. Borne presents someone who is quirky and scarred, someone who has ups and downs, moments of strength and moments of weakness. I’d love to see a play about this one character.
The play ends with a bombshell that doesn’t fully work because we don’t see the consequence of a certain character’s actions. Instead of packing a punch, this moment feels tacked on to the play for shock value. Look for the Woman could have been a biting dark comedy about a dysfunctional family coping with the death of a loved one. Unfortunately, Stephanie Anne Ervin and Michael Borne’s strong performances are undermined by the fact that too many of Perfetti’s characters, like a ring that Vivienne describes “lack color and vulnerability.”
The play runs until March 25. Tickets are $18 for general admission, $15 for seniors/students. More info at writeactrep.org.
