by Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer
New Rep opens the season with the play Boston Marriage by David Mamet. You may be familiar with Mamet’s work; recent local productions of his work include New Rep’s production of Speed-the-Plow, and Lyric’s production of November. He is known for witty dialogue, often including many occurrences of the f-word (as well as other choice phrases), staccato speech where characters often cut one another off, and strong male characters. Boston Marriage is a deviation from this norm, with an all-female cast, a mere three utterances of the f-word, and strong, independent female characters, but still retains his humor.
The play, set around the end of the 19th– early 20thcentury, revolves around two women, Claire and Anna who are in a “Boston Marriage” – two single women living together without support from a man; Claire has just returned from a long absence and we learn that she wants to bring her new young female love interest to the house. Anna on the other hand, announces that she has found a married man to assist her financially. We get to see the two deal with the situation - can the new love interest come over, what will be said? Interspersed throughout this are scenes where the Scottish maid Catherine (although Anna can never seem to get her name or country of origin correct) enters - making tea, picking up after the women of the house, and offering unwanted comments. The situation gets more complicated after the arrival and departure (the audience never sees them) of other guests and provides fertile ground for Mamet’s comedy.
The three actresses excel at brining to life the humorous dialogue; Debra Wise masterfully portrays Anna. She portrays a strong side, but with a caring side that has been longing for Claire’s return and will do what she can to have her woman back. Jennie Israel is a fiery Claire who has a quick response, yet can be the calm one, called in the mediate situations involving the maid. Melissa Baroni’s Catherine brings great comedic timing and the ability to have herself noticed in the background without being the center of the attention. Kudos to the entire design team, from the detailed set with intricate floor, to the partial ceiling; the period costumes, and the hair design.
Going back to the language, as this is a Mamet play therefore it is all about language, (not the degree of foul language as is his normal), more of a fast-paced semi-Edwardian language that forces you to pay attention. I overheard someone asking his neighbor at intermission – explain to me what just happened, but in plain English! I don’t believe the language is that inaccessible, it can get to be a bit much, but Mamet knows this and even has the Catherine joke about it. Thankfully he rewards you with some good laughs even if the content isn’t as deep as it sounds.
No comments:
Post a Comment