Majestic Theater, West Springfield, MA
through April 1, 2018
by Shera Cohen
 |
| Photo by Lee Chambers |
“Outside Mullingar” is one of those sweet little
slice-of-life plays that might remind you of someone you know or, perhaps,
yourself. The setting are two small farmhouses in a town in Ireland where
everyone knows his neighbor. That can be taken literally, as the cast of four
portray characters who live next door, although divided by two fences and a
smidgeon of land. The rustic environment is far from bucolic. That, coupled
with the physical separation of the farms, makes a significant statement. Greg
Trochlil’s staging becomes a “character.”
Advertised as a love story, the play’s outcome is no
surprise. That is not very important. What is significant are the extremely
effective means by which the actors motivate their characters to the right
place at the right time. Margaret Reilly Streeter (Rosemary) portrays an
assertive, brash, savvy, 30-something woman. At first, Streeter gives her
character nuances of vulnerability. By Act II, the actress proves that Rosemary
has such empathy and determination that the audience cannot help but become her
sympathetic ally.
Jay Sefton (Anthony) dons the near-opposite personality for
his character. Anthony and Rosemary display the personification of oil and
water. A commonality is that both are quirky, but in different ways. Isolated,
self-conscious, and self-effacing describe Sefton’s Anthony. Yet, his verbal
fights with Rosemary reveal powerful emotions. Nearly all of Act II is a taut
dialog between these two characters. I felt intrusive watching Rosemary and
Anthony’s interaction. And, isn’t that what truly effective theatre is about.
The balance of the cast is actor Ron Komora (Anthony’s
father) and Sara Whitcomb (Rosemary’s mother). Both fulfill their roles admirably.
However, in my layman’s criticism of award-winning and prolific writer John
Patrick Shanley, flaws in Act I reduce Komora and Whitcomb’s performances to
stereotypes. Neither the actors nor director Danny Eaton can develop “real”
characters given the words in the script. In fact, a good deal of Act I could
have been cut, and “Outside Mullingar” would be a fine play.
A word about accents. Not that I am by any means an expert,
but listening to the quartet of actors successfully brought me to Ireland.
And, a word about the Majestic. Just when I thought that I
had no time in my busy life to see this play, I learned that each show offers
two Sunday matinees during its run. The timing was excellent.
