MARTHA MITCHELL CALLING

“If it hadn’t been for Martha Mitchell, there’d have been no Watergate.” – Richard Nixon

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: Hanover Tavern, 13181 Hanover  Courthouse Rd, Hanover, VA 2309

Performances: September 29 – October 29, 2023

Ticket Prices: $52

Info: (804) 282-2620 or www.virginiarep.org

Some plays are notable not because they are entertaining but because they are revelatory. Martha Mitchell Calling is that type of play. It is more than an historic docu-drama based on the real life story of the wife of former U.S. Attorney General John Mitchell, a key figure in the Watergate Scandal (1972-1974). Martha Mitchell Calling fills in some important parts of U.S. history that have been ignored or re-written – all because a key figure in the story was a woman.

Debra Wagoner has stepped into Martha Mitchell’s designer shoes to spill all the tea, right the wrongs, fill in the blanks, and teach us all a thing or two – while simultaneously making us laugh and acknowledge her considerable skills as an actor. Wagoner embraces the title role while her real-life husband, Joe Pabst, steps into character as her John Mitchell. Pabst literally steps into the role, as he starts most scenes as a portrait on the wall and steps out of the frame to join his wife in increasingly contentious interactions.

I was finishing high school and beginning college during the Watergate Scandal, certainly old enough to be aware of what was happening. But I don’t recall anything about Martha Mitchell – and that’s the whole point of this play. It starts out as a love story, but before our very eyes Mrs. Mitchell transforms from a traditional, if somewhat flamboyant, stand-by-your-man southern belle to a political pariah. She converted her husband from Democrat to Republican and introduced him to Richard Nixon. But then there was Watergate – when the Nixon administration broke in to the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., at the Watergate Office Building on June 17, 1972. Martha Mitchell Calling fills in some of the missing details, including an alleged kidnapping, a suspected drugging disguised as a mental breakdown, a missing weekend, and many other unanswered questions.

This is a two-person show, but Wagoner is undeniably the star of this show. She portrays Mrs. Mitchell as a mover and shaker, a bit unsteady on her feet from her close relationship with her ever-present gin bottle, princess phone close at hand and ready to be wielded like a cowboy’s pistol. We feel the toll taken by the series remarkable events that started with Mrs. Mitchell calling her favorite journalist with gossip in support of her husband and the Republican party to the heart-wrenching decision to stand up for truth and expose the corruption that had consumed her beloved GOP and her adored husband.

These events even gave rise to a condition known as Martha Mitchell Syndrome, which is what occurs when a medical professional labels a patient’s accurate perception of real events as delusional, resulting in an intentional misdiagnosis. Mrs. Mitchell’s commitment to the truth led to the loss of her husband, her daughter, and her health. She died alone and in disgrace.

This role is no small feat and Wagoner does a star turn as the ostracized socialite. Pabst is no slouch either. He admirably balances the seemingly contradictory role of loving husband and father with that of political villain, carrying loyalty to a fault and beyond.

Is it coincidence that Virginia Rep produced two female-led political productions at the start of their new season (POTUS at the November Theatre and Martha Mitchell Calling at Hanover)? Hmm. Whatever the explanation, both productions have contributed to an intriguing and provocative start to the local theater season.

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

MARTHA MITCHELL CALLING

by Jodi Rothe

Directed by Rick Hammerly

Cast

Martha Mitchell                      Debra Wagoner

John Mitchell                          Joe Pabst

Direction & Design

Direction                                Rick Hammerly

Scenic & Production Design    Dasia Gregg

Costume Design                      Sue Griffin

Lighting Design                        Matthew Landwehr

Sound Design                          Kelsey Cordrey

Stage Management                 Crimson Piazza

Ticket Information

Tickets: $52

Discounted Group Rates and Rush tickets available.

Box Office: 804-282-2620 or www.virginiarep.org

Run Time: 2 hours including a 15 minute intermission

Photo Credits: Aaron Sutten