Rancho Mirage in a Season of Illusion

The season theme for the New Rep is always in the back of my mind for each new production.  It is interesting to me how different time periods, forms, and characters can still have the same core themes and ideas.  Illusion comes quickly to mind when thinking of both “Rancho Mirage” and “The Elephant Man.”  In “Rancho Mirage” the couples are under the illusion that their lives can, in fact, be perfect.

The Rancho Mirage is the aptly named development where two of the three couples reside.  The name is apt not for the abundance of ranches, but for the mirage of security that comes from living in a gated community and the residents’ adherence to “keeping up appearances.”  In the production, two Rancho Mirage residents Diane (Tamara Hickey) and Nick (Lewis D. Wheeler) host two other couples for a dinner party.  Despite their bankruptcy, they serve the expensive wine and offer to order food when dinner is ruined.  As the night progresses (and the bottles of wine empty), the truth pours out.

Scene designer John Howell Hood models the stage into a living room that is warmly lit and provides the illusion of comfort: overstuffed pillows rest on micro-suede couches, two fireplaces frame an expanse of earth-tone tile, artificial plants add purpose to staggered end tables.  Every object falls into the same color palette: dull green, desert yellow, clay red.  The effect creates a space that is inviting and comforting, but also suggestive that the couple is afraid of standing out too much.  Whether through painting the walls the wrong color, or buying the wrong type of wine, it matters, to them, what other people think.

The first scene in particular reveals that theme of blending in.  Diane recites a list of items that Nick is forbidden to mention during dinner.  Her message is clear: by ignoring the “taboo subjects” they can be the perfect hosts.  Everyone will feel comfortable at the party, conversation will be pleasant, and they will communicate without providing additional information on their situation to their friends.  Nick, quite predictably, brings up all of them in the first 15 minutes of the party. 

It’s tempting to draw conclusions about the characters based on gender.  The men trust each other more easily, but the women are more honest.  The women’s honesty may actually be their barrier to trust, since they use facts as weapons against one another.  I wish the production had done more to counteract these stereotypes.

Although I found the story-lines to be a bit exaggerated, the hyperbole is usually redeemed by comedy, and the character-driven production features strong performances by the cast.  Cate Damon, as soft-spoken, pious Pam, delivers several of the most humorous lines of the show.  Abigail Killeen, as Type-A Louise, is a wonderful paradox of a boisterous personality keeping her own secrets.  John Kooi as Charlie is the only noticeably drunk character after two hours of drinking and no food, which helps to ground some of the revelations. 

  -- Victoria Petrosino, New Rep Reviewer

A Mirage of Happy Couples

Rancho Mirage is a gated community in the desert where we meet three couples convening for at on couple’s house for dinner and a fun night together. Over the course of the evening, secrets and truths start to be revealed, first slowly, then at one point at a frantic pace.  These are best friends, but each person is keeping up a façade, trying not to let others know of the problems that lie underneath, sometimes even to their own spouse. The playwright, Steven Dietz, weaves in twists and turns in the plot that may keep you guessing with a bunch of good lines that also keep you laughing.  I was reminded a little bit of God of Carnage which played at the Huntington last season - the way the couples interact and the way the evening progresses reminded me a little of the show – but that's a good thing as I was entertained by both.  If it seems that I’ve been a little vague on the plot on what actually transpires, that is on purpose.  Sometimes it’s best to go into a play knowing very little of what will happen so you can get caught up in the action – this is a good example of a play where you will benefit from not knowing too much. 

Director Robert Walsh assembles a fine cast that is well directed.  Each of the couples is strong and the entire cast works well as an ensemble.  All of the technical aspects came together to make the production look great.  John Howell Hood's scenic design was very fitting for the neighborhood the play is set in.  It was very interesting to look and to take in all the details.   Dewey Dellay's sound design and music composed for the scene changes fit in very well, helped keep the pacing going and were perfectly timed with Deb Sullivan's lighting design – it really made the scene changes flow perfectly. 

Overall, this was a show that was enjoyable and kept my interest for the entire two hours.  While being enjoyable, it wasn’t a very deep show that leaves you pondering it for long after the house lights come up as a show like Elephant Man may do.  That being said, it still made for an enjoyable night of theatre and makes me interested in seeing more from the playwright. 

~ Frank Furnari - New Rep Reviewer

New Rep New Show Great Fun

Large, overstuffed couches greet theatre goers in the fantastic set of New Reps's area premiere of a brand new play, Rancho Mirage.  (Ridiculous locale names become the topic of a later monologue.) But "mirage" is the perfect descriptor, as it turns out; nothing is as it seems at the start of the play.  The couches become audience to one revelation after another, as the tangle of lies and half-truths holding together various relationships is unwound.

The performances and technical infrastructure of New Rep plays are consistently very high quality.  This show is no exception, although some of the characters feel more real than others. (Whether this is an artifact of the acting or the writing is difficult to say.)  Returning New Rep star Robert Pemberton as Trevor is stunning (and sews a mean pair of pants), and we loved the odd quirkiness of John Kooi and Cate Damon as Charlie and Pam(my).  Newcomer to New Rep Abigail Kileen (as Louise) really holds the show together and is perfectly loud-mouthed, honest, irreverent, and blousy -- although the script speaks of a hypersexuality that is not apparent in the character.

The play, ultimately, is a fun night out.  The script is often laugh-out-loud funny, and director Robert Walsh makes the most of the jokes and set-ups.  The danger with this kind of work, which exposes the ugly underbelly of many of the characters and relationships, is that the audience may not like any of the characters enough to care what happens next.  Some of that feeling comes in here, although the actors do a heroic job in making the characters as like able as possible despite their (many) faults.

~ Shauna Shames, New Rep Reviewer