Marvin’s Room
Written by Scott McPherson
Directed by Mary C. Redmon
at Circle Theatre, Oak Park (map)
thru Sept 30 | tickets: $26-$28 | more info
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McPherson’s darkly comedic dialogue loses punch in Circle’s room
Circle Theatre presents
Marvin’s Room
Review by J.H. Palmer
Circle Theatre’s production of Marvin’s Room starts off promisingly enough: Bessie (Amanda Hartley) sits in the office of Dr. Wally (Eliza Shin), where Scott McPherson’s darkly comic dialogue bursts through in the opening scene. Bessie lives with her bedridden father, Marvin (voice of Paul Chakrin), and her ailing aunt Ruth (Kate Kisner). She has cared for them both for decades, and describes their health to Dr. Wally with the kind of gallows humor that comes with years of familiarity. Of her Aunt Ruth, she says:
She’s had back pain since she was born. But he had her get this electronic anesthetizer. You put the wires right to your brain. Any time she has pain, she just turns the dial. Any time she uses it, our automatic garage door goes up.
Bessie soon learns that she is suffering from leukemia, and reaches out to her estranged sister Lee (Elizabeth Morgan) – who she hasn’t seen or spoken to in 20 years – to ask if she’ll test to see if she’s a match for a bone marrow transplant that could save Bessie’s life. Lee is a single mother of two sons: Hank (Todd Aiello), a teenager who has been institutionalized after setting fire to his mother’s house and Charlie (Danny Mulae), who remains in the quiet shadows of his abrasive family. The dynamic between Lee and Hank is laid out with frankness and humor early on:
Hank: I didn't know I had an aunt Bessie.
Lee: She's been to the house.
H: When?
L: Right after your dad and I married.
H: Mom, I wasn't born yet.
L: I know I mentioned my sister.
H: I didn't know about her.
L: Every goddamn Christmas I say, “Bessie didn't send a card again this year either.”
H: Oh, Yeah.
L: That's your Aunt Bessie.
Lee’s entrance turns the energy up markedly; she is the brassy foil to Bessie’s selfless caretaker persona, and Morgan brings vivaciousness to the role that makes her shine. Unfortunately, with the exception of Kisner, the rest of the cast seem to lose steam early on, and never quite get it back. Unless you’re familiar with Marvin’s Room, it’s hard to tell what’s going on with Charlie’s character. In the 1996 film adaptation it’s clear that Charlie can’t be older than about nine or ten, but the Circle Theatre production makes the audience wonder if he’s a grown man with disabilities or simply played by an actor who’s much larger and older than the role calls for. Marvin, for whom the piece is named, is a disembodied voice who the audience never gets to see, and even his offstage groans seem insubstantial. The story plods through what should be important moments without ever reaching the emotional crux of the story, leaving the audience to wonder if it’s the script, the actors, or the direction that falls short.
Adding to the troubles are the sightlines; Marvin’s Room is performed in the studio, a theater space with just five rows of seating. Despite the small seating area, I still missed a good thirty to forty percent of the action sitting in the back row. (I did get to admire the blonde curls of the young man seated in front of me, but that’s not what I came to review). Marvin’s Room is an ambitious production, and a worthy piece, but Circle Theatre’s interpretation leaves one wanting more.
Rating: ★★
Marvin’s Room continues through September 30th at Circle Theatre, 1010 W. Madison, Oak Park (map), with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $26-$28, and are available by phone (708-660-9540) or online through BrownPaperTickets.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at Circle-Theatre.org. (Running time: 2 hours, includes an intermission)
Photos by Bob Knuth and Jen Bludgen
artists
cast
Amanda Hartley, Eliza Shin, Kate Kisner, Paul Chakrin, Elizabeth Morgan*, Jen Bludgen*, Todd Aiello, Danny Mulae, Liliana Mitchell
behind the scenes
Mary C. Redmon* (director); Ryan Keller (stage manager); Bob Knuth* (scenic, lighting, graphics, photos); kClare Kemock (costumes); Kevin Bellie* (sound design, artistic director)
* denotes Circle Theatre company member
12-0824
