Woman in Mind
Written by Alan Ayckbourn
Directed by Jackson Gay
Where: Thompson Theater at the Roselle Center for the Arts
(University of Delaware, Newark, DE)
When: Sunday, November 11, 2pm
Photo by Evan Krape / The REP
Interesting.
That's what I'll say about the University of Delaware's Resident Ensemble Players' latest production -- Woman in Mind by Alan Ayckbourn. Although I may have often been befuddled as to what I was seeing unfold in director Jackson Gay's presentation, I was never bored as the story unfolded.
Susan (REP's Elizabeth Heflin) is a seemingly "average" British mother. Her adult son (REP's Mic Matarrese) has left the family home and her time is now spent wallowing in a loveless marriage with her vicar husband Gerald (REP's Lee Ernst) who cares less for her than he does for a book he's been writing for years about their town. Or maybe Susan is a fascinating writer or a brilliant heart surgeon who is married to the loving Andy (REP's Hassan El-Amin) who fawns over her. This Susan has a smarmy brother (REP's Michael Gotch) who spends much time at Susan and Andy's country home and also has a charming daughter (Sam Morales) who is preparing to go to college. So who is the real Susan?
Neither Susan nor the audience are quite sure as the play bounces back and forth between these disparate sides of her mind and director Gay does a great job in capturing these distinct juxtapositions. Similarly, Heflin's Susan (who never leaves the stage over the production's runtime) may be confused about what is going on in her mind, but the talented actress never confuses the audience as to what Susan is feeling, seeing, or thinking, capturing both humorous and emotional moments with her talent. Even in her befuddled state, Heflin adeptly shows us the many facets to the character she's portraying.
And, to me, that's what Woman in Mind is about -- the many facets that make up a woman. Perhaps in her real life, Susan is "just" a housewife...but that entails so much more. To her young son in day's gone by, she may have been a doctor fixing his various booboos or injuries. To her writer husband, she may have spouted off ideas after ideas that he has added to his work. Maybe I'm reading Woman in Mind in an incorrect way -- maybe it is really about someone with psychological issues -- but in my interpretation, I found the play to be -- to quote the first word of my review -- interesting.
The entire ensemble does great work with nary a disappointment in the bunch. The group is able to mine the piece for its dark comedy in addition to making some of the more intensely dramatic moments hit the mark as well. Special kudos to Kathleen Pirkl Tague as Susan's unintentionally hilarious sister-in-law who steals the show when she walks onstage. As is often the case with the REP, production values are superb. The set design -- this time by Takeshi Kata whose work for the REP is always exquisite -- is beautiful thanks to its vividly colorful design. Costumes by Katherine Roth are elegant and appropriate for the proceedings.
Woman in Mind is certainly a play that makes you question what you're watching, but in the end, I enjoyed what both the playwright and this production brought to the stage, giving the REP another solid show for the 2018-19 season.
