Senior Theater – RVArt Review

THE BARBER OF MOVILLE

Molly has a PLAN – if only she could remember what it was…

The US Premiere of a New Play by Ronan Carr

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: The Firehouse, 1609 West Broad St., Richmond, RVA 23220

Performances: June 23 – July 17, 2022

Ticket Prices: $30

Info: (804) 355-2001 or firehousetheatre.org.

THE BARBER OF MOVILLE is one of the most touching plays I’ve seen all season – perhaps ever. And by touching, I mean you will need tissues. As the play opens, Molly (Katie McCall) is preparing to open up the barber shop she took over after her father died. She heats water for tea – this is, after all, Ireland – and listens to opera as she prepares to receive her first customer, a Wednesday regular. Molly’s husband Dommo (David Bridgewater) soon comes into the shop from the attached living quarters. He’s carrying two suitcases and appears surprised to see that Molly is preparing to open shop. He gently explains that is has been several years since the regular customer Molly is expecting has come into the shop.

It doesn’t take long for the audience to figure out that Molly has Alzheimer’s and despite how put-together and fit she looks, her memory appears to be rapidly deteriorating. But the couple has a Plan. That explains the suitcases: a modern rolling bag and a clunky vintage number. They are about to leave their outdated little barber shop in Derry City, Ireland for an adventure in Zurich, Switzerland, where they plan to check into a fine hotel, attend the opera, and then take Molly to see the doctor. The well-planned trip, Molly’s idea actually, has been carefully documented in Molly’s little black book as Dommo calls it – or notebook, as she insists – and the couple even has a written contract spelling out all the details of their trip. That seems a little excessive, you say? Well, not when you understand that Dommo has a round-trip ticket and Molly doesn’t…

Before leaving, the obviously loving couple takes a trip down memory lane – a tricky proposition when one’s memory has become your arch enemy. There are warm and even humorous moments as we eavesdrop on the couple’s joyous if sometimes frustrating conversation. We hear of their youthful days in art college and learn that Molly prefers Bruce Springsteen while Dommo leans towards Meatloaf, but then there is also a darker side to their story. Molly’s Aunt Christine apparently also had the same disease that is eroding Molly’s sense of self and then there is the uneasy revelation of her beloved father’s true character.

Katie McCall and David Bridgewater inhabit these characters with dignity, with faith. They infuse them with warmth, humanity, and authenticity far beyond mere acting technique. Nathaniel Shaw’s directing is also gentle, yet refuses to hide any of the details of the mental, physical, and emotional toll that Alzheimer’s can wreck on an individual and on a relationship. A clock on the wall of the barber shop has been set to run in real time and we can see the entire play unfold in 60 minutes. At the end of that 60 minutes, Dommo rips up the contract, and I wiped my eyes. By the end, it felt as if I had been watching something sacred and private, not just watching a play for entertainment. At the end, I could go home and leave Molly and Dommo behind, but that will not be an option for everyone who sees this play. Wisely, for this run Firehouse has partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association, and scheduled several post-show talkbacks.

Set in the present, in a little town that is stuck in the past, the ambience reflects the disarray of Molly’s mind. So does Chris Raintree’s scenic design: a two-chair barber shop complete with the traditional red, white and blue pole. But the left two-thirds of the set is orderly, if a bit dated, while the right third reflects chaos – a broken mirror, cracks in the wall. So many of the pieces fit together perfectly, from Molly’s long, loose sweater and comfortable shoes (thanks to Costume designer Colin Lowrey II) to McCall’s and Bridgewater’s soft Irish accents (kudos, once again, to Dialect Coach Erica Hughes). I have never once been disappointed or felt confused when I’ve seen Hughes listed in a program as the Dialect Coach.

THE BARBER OF MOVILLE is a beautiful play that makes me want to see more of Carr’s work. It runs at the Firehouse through July 17.

THE BARBER OF MOVILLE

The US Premiere of a New Play by Ronan Carr

Directed by Nathaniel Shaw

Cast:

Molly Green ……………….. Katie McCall

Dommo Green ……………….. David Bridgewater

Production Team:

Nathaniel Shaw – Director

Chris Raintree – Scenic Designer

Colin Lowrey II – Costume Designer

Todd Labelle – Lighting and Sound Designer

Erica Hughes – Dialect Coach

Dennis Bowe – Stage Manager

Bill Sigafoos – Photographer

Performance Schedule:

Thu June 23 @ 7:30pm (preview)

Fri June 24 @ 7:30pm (preview/post show talkback)

Sat June 25 @ 7:30pm (opening)

Fri July 1 @ 7:30pm (post show talkback)

Sat July 2 @ 7:30pm

Sun July 3 @ 3pm (post show talkback)

Fri July 8 @ 7:30pm

Sat July 9 @ 7:30pm

Sun July 10 @ 3pm (post show talkback)

Fri July 15 @ 7:30pm

Sat July 16 @ 7:30pm

Sun July 17 @ 3pm (post show talkback)

Tickets: $30

Run time: 60 minutes with no intermission

The Firehouse Theatre requires all audience members to be fully vaccinated and to wear face masks inside the Firehouse.

Photo Credits: Bill Sigafoos

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FIREFLIES

“Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me…”

or “You cain’t unpeck a fig.”

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

CAT – Chamberlayne Actor’s Theatre

At: HATTheatre, 1124 Westbriar Dr., Richmond, VA 23238

Performances: June 10-12 & June 17-19, 2022

Ticket Prices: $24.00 General Admission. $20.00 Seniors

Info: http://www.cattheatre.com

I usually avoid words like charming and endearing, but in the case of Fireflies those are the words that seem most appropriate. Fireflies is a story of opening up and letting go, and it is a love story between two mature people that is not played as a spoof or a sitcom. Fireflies, the insect, represent love; their soft luminescence is part of their mating ritual, and they remind us of summer nights as children, chasing fireflies and trying to capture them in a jar to make their elusive light last. The symbolism of fireflies is indirectly alluded to throughout the play, but it’s there.

Ms. Eleanor Bannister (played by Jean Roberts) is a retired teacher in the small Texas town of Groverdell. She never married, and has settled into a comfortable life of respectability. Eleanor still lives in the house she grew up in, and rents the “honeymoon cottage” her father built for her that was never used for its intended purpose. At times, Roberts seems to channel the spirit of the late Bea Arthur. Ms. Grace Bodell (played by Linda Snyder) is Eleanor’s loyal, caring – read “nosy” – friend and neighbor, an archetype familiar to the residents of every small town or cul-de-sac. It is a role Snyder approaches with just the right balance of humor and temperance. One day a charming drifter appears and shakes up Eleanor’s routine, pulling her out of her comfort zone and, in the process, gives the town something to talk about. William Henry brings the necessary tension and mystery to his portrayal of Abel Brown, keeping us interested and never quite sure if he is who he says he is. There is always a lingering question. . .

Abel Brown fixes a hole in the roof of Eleanor’s rental property, and in the process opens Eleanor’s heart to the possibility of romance. In the relatively short span of about a week, spread over five acts and two scenes, we are drawn willingly into Eleanor’s unfamiliar and unexpected journey and get to experience familiarity with her plight, longing for adventure, and recognition of her dilemma.

In addition to fixing the roof and doing other repairs, Abel Brown – whose character seems to require being referred to by his full name – serenades Eleanor by playing “Beautiful Dreamer” on her father’s antique violin, and impresses her with his peanut butter and jelly sandwich-making skills. The beauty of FIREFLIES lies largely in its simplicity. Eleanor and Grace chat over homemade cake and a glass of milk and comment on the weather, the state of Eleanor’s house, and Grace’s “Sunday hair.”

The play is set in Eleanor’s kitchen and the atmosphere is dominated by the easy banter between the two friends. The natural pacing and familiarity of the scenes makes the electricity sizzle all the more when Abel Brown makes his appearances and introduces much-needed excitement and tension. The Sunday I attended, the space had been affected by a summer storm that left the house lights and air-conditioning off, providing an unintended touch of authenticity to the Texas summer scenes.

Director Ann Davis kept the pace sultry but interesting, and seemed to have a genuine connection with the author’s vision for this show. A second-act appearance by Alvino Medina as Eugene, the local sheriff’s deputy – and Eleanor’s former student – may have been necessary from the author’s point of view, but did not seem to quite fit in with the rhythm already established by Roberts, Henry, and Snyder. Nevertheless, Fireflies is a delightful and heartwarming story with a few unexpected twists and turns that upset the flow of predictability and makes for a satisfying evening of theater.

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

FIREFLIES

Written by Matthew Barber

Directed by Ann Davis

Cast

Jean Roberts as Eleanor Bannister

Linda Snyder as Grace Bodell

William Henry as Abel Brown

Alvino Medina as Eugene Claymire

Creative Design Team

Director – Ann Davis

Stage Manager – Brandy Stevens

Set Designer – Scott Bergman

Costume Designer – Sheila Russ

Lighting Designer – Chris Stepp

Properties Master – Ellie Wilder

Sound Designer – Buddy Bishop

Backstage Crew – Ashton Lee & Dinah Lee S. Mason

Dates

Fri. Jun 10th 2022, 8:00 pm

Sat. Jun 11th 2022, 8:00 pm

Sun. Jun 12th 2022, 2:30 pm

Fri. Jun 17th 2022, 8:00 pm

Sat. Jun 18th 2022, 8:00 pm

Sun. Jun 19th 2022, 2:30 pm

Ticket Information

www.cattheatre.com

Ticket prices range from $24.00 General Admission. $20.00 Seniors.

Run Time

The play runs about 2 hours with 1 intermission

Photo Credits: Daryll Morgan Studios

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GREAT CAESAR’S GHOST: Bifocals Senior Theatre

GREAT CAESAR’S GHOST: Bifocals Turns a Lens on A Christmas Carol

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: CAT Theatre, 419 No. Wilkinson Rd., RVA 23227

Performances: December 16, 2019

Ticket Prices: $10

Info: (703) 501-6811 or cat@cattheatre.com

I’ve been aware of the Bifocals Senior Theatre for quite some time, but this was the first time I actually got to see them in action. The company of seniors (55+) for seniors regularly tours to area senior centers, but they present two performances (one matinee and one evening on the same day) of each show at the CAT Theatre on No. Wilkinson Road.

The current show, Great Caesar’s Ghost, the first of four touring events for the season, is a humorous take on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Here, a woman business owner who has a reputation of being hard to get along with gets a visit from the ghost of Julius Caesar who shows her the error of her ways. The pared-down plot doesn’t bother to take her on a journey to the past, present, and future, but the result is the same.

Anne Kight Lloyd plays the lead role of Patricia Watson with an appropriately hard-nosed edginess – perhaps slightly influenced by Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada. Peter Holleran is Caesar’s Ghost – in sandals, a toga, golden arm bands and a laurel wreath headband. In contrast to Lloyd, his character is more along the lines of, let’s say, Steve Martin – over-the-top and played for laughs.

Donna Toliver-Walker and Rob Stuebner fill all the supporting roles; each play three characters, often communicating with the formidable Ms. Watson via phone – the kind with curly cords!

Running under an hour with no intermission and including a holiday sing-along at the end, Great Caesar’s Ghost is an amusing divertissement. The production’s sparse set, consisting of a desk with a laptop and telephone, a door frame, and a pedestal that does double duty as a telephone stand as well as a concierge desk, along with the minimal lighting make this production easy to transport and I imagine it would probably be a welcome addition to a senior center’s programming.

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

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Photo Credits: CAT Theatre Facebook page