Maternal Spirits
Total Rating Three Stars
Running Time 122 minutes with a 15-minute intermission
Genre Comedy
Author Jim Caputo
Director Robert Dahey
The lights come up. We're transported to the exterior of a coffee shop. Jane (Sandy Campbell) is on a cell phone, earphone in ear, mike dangling, doing a crossword puzzle and sipping her exotic coffee while talking to her stepmother, Momma Rose (Pat DiMeo), in "Maternal Spirits."
Jane has given up on men, intending to date them only "when they quit making batteries." Momma Rose is looking for a man, any man, to take care of Jane. Jane, recently out of a nasty marriage, is having no part of it. She finally hangs up on her stepmother. Enter Frank (Jonathan Sachs), a reliable and steady guy celebrating (well, sorta) the first anniversary of his divorce from a cuckolding wife. A perfect setup for comedy - a man-hating woman and an man looking for a faithful woman.
Playwright Jim Caputo has brought us the most hilarious comedy of the year. In fact, the only negative is that there are so many funny lines that some are lost by the laughter from the previous line. The laughing muscles need a break. He also plays with the language quite enjoyably. Caputo has taken an all-too-common problem in our fluid society, divorce and its consequences, producing a story about two outwardly contrasting people with deep similar inward desires. Add to this an interfering stepmother and a birth mother (Lee Donnelly) with their equally contrasting advice. Both are the "Maternal Spirits" who have passed on.
Campbell and Sachs were perfectly cast a Jane and Frank. Their interplay is a joy to watch. They have set a high mark for this season's theatre. Sachs is a master of the take and double take. Campbell can roll through emotions with grace, proving that women can confuse men with mere words. At the same time, Campbell has convinced the audience that she is still a very confused Jane. Kudos to both.
Director Robert Dahey started with a delightful script that required excellence in acting. He cast well both with his leads and with Pat DiMeo and Lee Donnelly. DiMeo has to express herself almost totally over the telephone and unseen. She is truly an interfering Jewish stepmother. Her very short on-stage appearance is a joy. Donnelly's second act appearance as the mother with true concern for her daughter is a charming balance of motherly concern and frustration with the powers-that-be in Heaven. Director Dahey paced his cast well. He has a good flare for comedic timing.
Caputo also designed an unique set consisting of four triangles four feet wide and eight feet high. By shifting to a new side, the coffee shop became Jane's bedroom, which became Jane's living room. Not only that, but the walls incorporated such set pieces as a swing-down bed, chest of drawers, dining room cabinet, and more. The stagehands accomplished the complex task of changing the triangles and set pieces to theme music and to the applause of the audience. Caputo designed the sound which worked well. Scott Padrick's lighting worked nicely with the flexible set giving each location a special look. Cindy Cetinske's costumes defined the characters in their contemporary New York setting. Jane's wardrobe is extremely complex.
"Maternal Spirits" is well worth your attendance. It is beyond amusing. It has an award-winning cast at their best.
Caution Guidance Sexual content and some profanity
Cast Sandy Campbell, Jonathan Sachs, Pat DiMeo, Lee Donnelly
Technical Staff Producer Jarin Satterlee, Asst Producer Tim Deaton, Asst to Director Rebecca Bergholtz, Set & Sound Design Jim Caputo, Lighting Design Scott Padrick, Costume Design Cindy Cetinske,
Critic Robert Hitchcox
Date Reviewed September 18, 2004
