Plays I've Seen Recently
All Under Heaven
Starring Valerie Harper as Pearl S. Buck
and
Mother Wove the Morning
Starring Carolyn Pearson in some 14 roles
Over the Thanksgiving holidays ('99), Amy and I were visiting friends in Fort Lauderdale and were invited by Valerie Harper, whom Amy and friend-of-a-friend Lori had met briefly a few days before, to attend a play at the community playhouse in which she was the sole performer. When we arrived (there were five of us), we discovered that Ms. Harper had given us the best seats in the house. But the best surprise came later as we watched the show unfold.
Before I go much further, I should say that my purpose here isn't so much to review the play as to make some interesting comparisons to another one-woman play I saw a few years ago in Washington, DC which starred Carol Lynn Pearson who is well known among American Mormons for her poetry and other writings. So if it's a detailed review you want, click here to access a review on a website dedicated to Off-Broadway theatre in New York City where the play made a successful run a year or so ago.
To be honest, I always felt that much of Pearson's poetry lacked originality and depth. But during the long ordeal of her husband's slow and painful death, her artistic abilities and, more importantly, sensibilities matured noticeably. So when she appeared in this one-woman play entitled "Mother Wove the Morning" in the early 1990s in which she played some 14 female characters throughout human history, I was impressed. The basic premise of the play was that the human concept of God progressed from a predominantly feminine one to a masculine one over time and that, during this transition, God came to represent a more and more authoritarian and business-like and a less and less caring and human-like personality. (Actually, I just went out on the web and discovered that a more recent version of MWTM is now playing in Akron, OH. Click here for more information).
The themes of the two plays had little in common, but the performances were similar for the wide range of emtion and personality that was demonstrated by a single performer in each case. I really think these two women ought to get together and talk. I'd be interested to see what kind of project they could come up with as a team.
That's about all I wanted to say except that I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the excellent job Valerie Harper's husband, Tony Cacciatore did producing the show. The sound and lighting did a lot of enhance Harper's transition from one character to another, and I particularly remember how effectively they worked (in synergy with Harper herself) in bringing together the character of the old Chinese nanny.
We stuck around after the show for a few minutes to buy a T-shirt in support of the Pearl S. Buck Foundation's efforts to facilitate the adoption of disadvantaged children from around the world. During that time, we had an opportunity to chat with both Tony and Valerie, and we found them both to be as personable as they are talented. And it's nice to see influential people use their fame and talent to help out those in need.
Play about Patty Hearst Abduction
at Georgetown University in the Early 1990s
I've forgotten the name of this play, and unfortunately, I can't find any information about it on the web. Still, it was probably the most impressive theatrical event I have ever experienced, so it would be crazy not to list it here. Based on a poem about Hearst whose title I am likewise ignorant of, the play worked like music with elements of rhythm and dance that maintained a surreal trance-like atmosphere throughout. If you know the name of this play, please let me know.
Come to think of it, some of the best theatrical experiences I've had have been on university campuses. There seems to be a lot of freshness in young amateurs that is sometimes lacking in professional venues.
Created: December 2nd, 1999