“Any Given Monday” at Theatre One Middleboro

By Richard Pacheco

            Bruce Graham’s irreverent and politically incorrect “Any Given Monday” at Theatre One is a merry, sassy, darkly funny romp with some unexpected twists and turns as it takes a look at marital infidelity, football and philosophy. It is the winner of the 2010 Barrymore Award for Best New Play. The cast, directed by Peg Holzemer is spirited, energetic and robust, full of strong comic timing and dark humor. It is a twisted morality play.

            Set in Lenny’s living room with a few asides, the play introduces daughter Sarah and undergraduate philosophy student about to graduate and considering going on for a master’s degree. Then there is Lenny a Jewish teacher married for 24 years who is a bit of a wimp and rarely if ever gets angry no matter what happens. He has been couch bound since his wife Risa, walked out to move in with her very flashy lover, a real estate mogul who is all ego and bucks. Finally there is Mickey, Lenny’s lifelong friend who works for the transit authority. Sarah finds his current condition intellectually stimulating although she finds his wimpy behavior unacceptable. There are some twists and turns which shifts all this into a crucial moral dilemma which will have an effect on all involved.

            Mix these together and you get a wild ride of politically incorrect and moral dilemma questions. It all unfolds with Monday night football in the background on the television.

            Manny Moitoso is Lenny, the world’s most decent and patient guy, in fact too patient and decent for his own good. Lenny is too agreeable, and really subservient to his wife. His daughter Sarah in one of her monologues sums it up while talking about a tough Jewish lawyer who when his wife merely raises an eyebrow, immediately whimps out and runs to buy her an expensive gift. Lenny is of the same ilk. Moitoso is excellent as the laid back, moral Jewish man intimidated by his wife to the endth degree, to the point of not even being angry that she left and ready to take her back at a moment’s notice without a fight at all without even righteous anger. Moitoso is convincing in his emotional evolution as the play unfolds.

            Bob Genereau is Lenny’s lifetime friend, the real salt of the earth Mick, who works in the subway and has a different view of life because of what he sees and experiences during his life below ground. Genereau delivers an honest performance as a man dedicated to his lifelong friend determined to do whatever is necessary to make things right and help his friend be happy moral qualms notwithstanding. He shows a fine comic finesse and solid comic timing.

            Vanessa Lima is Sarah, the philosophy minded daughter who wants her father to grow a pair and not serve as a doormat for her mom. She is intrigued by questions of philosophy, particularly moral questions and seeking solutions to moral dilemmas both the esoteric abstract kind as well as those that exist in daily life. Lima is confident and sincere in her performances and she writhes through the array of moral morass she must confront in her life with her parents situation and the unusual things which arise.

            Finally there is Risa, Lenny’s wife and Sarah’s mother, a woman who finds herself bored after 24 years of marriage and wants to feel alive again without thinking of the consequences or personal cost for her or the rest of her family. Risa is self absorbed and aware of her needs but seems to lack a genuine concern for how her actions affect anyone else. She knows what she wants though and isn’t afraid to go after it with passion and conviction. Susan Salvensen is Risa and she is poised, confident and manages the right hint of boredom in her relationship with her husband it a highly convincing performance.

            Peg Saurman Holzemer directs this raucous black comedy with skill and finesse with sharp pacing and an eye and ear for the right comic touches.

            John Marzilli’s set, Lenny’s living room, works with nothing too ostentatious, but simply and serviceable.

            “Any Given Monday” is a merry ride into the politically incorrect with outrageous events and deep moral choices by the characters in between all the laughs and sometimes the cause of them. If you are tired to the apologetic politically incorrect dogma, then this is one for you to see.

            It continues on Jan. 14, 15, 16 at 7:30 p.m. and again Jan 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday Matinee at 2 p.m. on Jan. 24. All shows are at the Alley Theatre, at 133 Centre St. in Middleboro. Doors open 30 minutes prior to the performance. General admission is $20, with seniors/students at $18 — cash only at door. On opening Night, Jan.14, all tickets are $18. Free Parking at the Middleboro Town Hall

“Grizzly Mama” at the Gamm

By Richard Pacheco

            Playwright George Brant has a history over the past three or four years in writing plays about some tough independent women and this play is no exception. Last year the Gamm staged his excellent “Grounded” and return this year with yet another fine production, this time he leaves behind the female fighter pilot grounded due to her unexpected pregnancy and confined to flying a drone in a windowless trailer in the Nevada desert to a tale of politics brought boiling to a near carnival atmosphere of extremism and radicalism. The results are often fiercely funny and powerful theatre.

         

   Deb Marshall is a divorced mother of a teenage daughter who moves to Alaska to become a liberal avenger when she moves next door to right wing Patti who happens to be running for president. Deb is shamed and embarrassed by what she considers betrayal of her ultra liberal activist mother’s politics and activism since she slipped quietly into the role of a stay at home mother. Deb feels she betrayed her mother’s ideal and her mother and ended up a daughter who gave her only extreme disappointment by settling for a more traditional role. So Deb develops some dark plans for Patti and wants to garner the support of her daughter Hannah into the mix.

The play shelters no political view from relentless observation which finds its roots in dark, raucous humor.

Casey Seymour Kim is the hapless Deb, struggling to make up for the disappointments she felt she gave her mother when she failed to follow in her feminist and ultra liberal life and beliefs. Deb traded in her mother’s activisms to become the wife of a doctor and became a stay at home mom in Ohio. Her mother’s death and her mother’s last words to her inspire her to move to the wilds of Alaska next door to an ultra right wing woman ho is running for president.  The transformation inspires Deb to devise a radical plan to get her in good with her mother’s memories, truly insane and radical actions. Kim is excellent in the role, bringing verve and sincerity to the woman caught in a diabolical internal conflict in an attempt to soother the memory of disappointing her mother. She also wants to entice her daughter to join her in this newly formed quest. Kim deftly manages high hilarity at Deb’s outrageous words and actions with an impeccable comic timing and flair.  She never ends up a caricature despite the often outlandish things she says and does.

Amanda Ruggiero is 17 year old Hannah, Deb’s daughter. She is very much a typical teenager, glued to her smart phone forever texting to the point her hand continues even when she no longer holds the cell phone. Hannah is at a loss to be stranded in the wilds of Alaska, with her mother going increasingly wild in her ideas and passionate desire to make up for years of disappointment to Hannah’s grandmother.  She is at a loss when her mother tries to invite her to collude with her on an outrageous plan that defies logic.  Ruggiero is excellent as Hannah. She delivers a performance that is vivid and honest. She ably captures the confusions and interests of a teenager with a carefully etched performance that is fascinating and endearing by turns.

The final character ins this is Laurel, played by Betsy Rinaldi. Laurel is the daughter of the woman running for president who resents the attention her mother’s choices has on her, bringing in the attention of media and public alike. Laurel loves her mother but also harbors some resentments against her as well and for the position that she finds herself in with no apparent escape. Rinaldi is also excellent as a teenager also at odds with her mother and her mother’s wishes and politics.

Director Rachel Walshe shows skill and verve, getting the most out of the at times uncomfortable humor and darker moments.

Josh Christoffersen’s scenic design is effective with the hominess of the cabin simply conveying and the stands of birch trees effectively in evoking the wilderness.

It is a riveting production with many laugh vividly out loud moments amind at times uncomfortable moments. It is well worth seeing.

            "Grizzly Mama" runs from Jan. 7 to Feb. 7 at the Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre, 172 Exchange St., Pawtucket. Tickets are $41-$49, and $30 for previews Jan. 7-10. Visit gammtheatre.org, or call (401) 723-4266.