Make your reservations for, Mornings at Seven! This show might sell out! Heres what the JO had to say... BRADFORD—Old Church Theaters current production, Mornings at Seven by the American playwright Paul Osborn (1901-1988) is giving Bradford and neighboring towns cause to be triumphantly grateful that the small community theater group in their midst can create the kind of splendid, yet deeply meaningful entertainment that one otherwise might have to travel much farther away for. Of Osborn, who also was a screenwriter and became best known for his screen adaptation of East of Eden, South Pacific, The Yearling, the World of Suzie Wong and Sayonara, its been said that he blows up what is sad until it no longer looks sad at all, just as preposterous as it inherently is, because it now threatens to pop in your face, and then your funny-bone takes over. It takes brilliance to achieve that, and brilliance shines all the way through in OCTs interpretation of the lives of four sisters, three husbands, one nephew and the latters long-time fiancée. Sheila Kaplow, who directed, assembled a superb cast of seven area residents who actually are retirees in addition to the younger couple. These are actors who themselves are beyond, retirement age, and its awesome to watch how they, in spite of their characters obviously creaky bones, confusions and disillusionments, know their lines flawlessly. The young couple are talked about at length before they appear on stage: Homer, the nephew, lives up to the image of a laid-back fellow who seems to cruise through life without much purpose, and his fiancée is delightfully different from the old maid the aunts were expecting. The action takes place in adjacent backyards in a small Midwestern town, and the set designed by Jim Heidenreich and constructed by Paul Coates, Diane Fray, Barbara Payson, Chuck Fray, Anne Foldeak and family, and other members of the cast, is immaculate. It consists of two attractive, small houses, a background wall with some greenery between them, and comfy garden furniture and live plants. The houses are so well-built and realistic that one is tempted to move right in, and live in that nice, well-kept neighborhood. The residents have their problems, though, much of them stirred up by the arrival of Homer, the nephew, and Myrtle Brown, his fiancée. Then theres Carl, Homers father, who has spells of despair that stems from a conviction that he took wrong turns in his younger life. Sometimes he disappears, crying out that he needs to find the fork, the place in the road where he went wrong and became a handyman rather than a dentist. This is an incredibly subtle role Jim Heidenreich plays with admirable duality, as he must navigate between being funny and deeply tragic. As such he creates an unforgettable character, tall and skinny and half bald, and so lost. Heidenreich is in fine contrast to the other retirees: his wife, three sisters-in-law and two of their husbands. In order of appearance, theres Scott Johnson as Thor, easygoing and wonderfully avuncular. His wife Cora is played by Barbara Payson, a cool but loving and determined lady. Their housemate, Aaronetta, Coras maiden sister, is portrayed by Caroline Swaney with an intriguing mix of tragedy and meanness, and Carls wife Ida, one of the sisters and Homers mother, is portrayed by Joyce Evans with heaps of wifely and maternal concerns, yet also with humor and warmth. The fourth sister and her husband live within walking distance; they are Esther and David, the latter of whom is severely domineering. Poor Esther is not allowed to visit her sisters, and David gets downright nasty when she does. Robin Ng fearlessly goes her own way, though, and remains a sweet, thoughtful woman who remains upbeat in spite of the old-age difficulties with which she moves. Charles Fray as her husband employs all the sinisterness hes known for as an actor, but in the end shows he can be warm and lovable after all. Paul Coates and Anne Foldeak as the young couple are central to the play, but in an unassuming way. Things look bleak for them for a while, but when the sun comes through, so to speak, especially Foldeak is a marvelous burst of happiness. As attractive as the set are the women’s costumes, some of them authentically 1930s and the others close to it. Fine details such as nice shoes and pretty jewelry add to the care and respect which were customary in that era. Mornings at Seven has been announced as a comedy and an endearing and humorous look at what we today would call a dysfunctional family. The characters are as loveable and unique as youd find in any American small town, and their lives as ordinary as cornbread. Thats as true as can be, yet Osborns genius, Kaplows direction and the actors considerable talents elevate them to a high level of tragedy at first, and then comic relief when after much confusion and many uncomfortable discussions all ends well. For those who appreciate live theater this is definitely a must-see, which one can do this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m and Sunday afternoon at 4. Last Friday evening the house was almost full, and calling for reservations at (802)222-3322 may be a good idea.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 20:47:04 +0000
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