OFF-BROADWAY REVIEW
BABY IT’S YOU Let’s make this clear. This review is not meant for that
musical about the lady who discovered The Shirelles. This is a review of a play
about a group of train passengers whose lives were significantly changed at the
end of their journey. But they’re not your usual Agatha Christie passengers on the Orient Express
who turn out to be related to each other within six degrees of separation nor
are they Alfred Hitchcock's stalking and scheming Strangers on a Train. They are ordinary folks who derive genuine
pleasure in passing time on a long train journey by doing such mundane things
as reciting poetry from pre-Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post, reading
books, eavesdropping on other passengers or, if lucky, finding love on the
aisle. Among the first Pulitzer prize nominees, this play by Rachel
Crothers is essentially a love story between Julie Rutherford (sensitively
played by Samantha Soule), who lost her train ticket and Jim West (played by a
rather stiff McCaleb Burnett), who lent her the money to keep her on the train. This play, which generally depicts a darker side of Norman
Rockwell’s Americana,
takes painstakingly slow to unravel. The overlong exposition takes up most of
the 40-minute first act as nothing much happens by way of a plot. Amidst the
many characters who were introduced all at once at the start of the play, it is
only during the last three minutes of the first act that the audience gets a
sense of where the story is heading. The use of an accident to end the first act on a cliffhanger does
not really contribute to an engaging plot since such device is not inherent to
the situation or to the characters. The subplots involving the supporting
characters are not fully developed, without any real closure at the play's
feel-good conclusion. However, the fine supporting cast provides romantic and/or comic
relief to an otherwise bleak story. Most notable among them is Mrs. Bay
(delightfully played by Rosemary Prinz) as an overly curious yet pleasant
grandmother. Ms. Prinz also delivers most of the play's few humorous lines,
together with Mrs. Welch (played by the funny Laurie Birmingham) who elicits
laughter each time she appears. Jennifer Blood tackles her role with just the right dose of
restraint as Annie, the mother of a baby who later becomes the object of
contention among the group. Amidst the serious issues which beset the adults, the budding
friendship between Lily (sweetly played by Chet Siegel) and Frank (played with
youthful exuberance by Ben Hollandsworth) provides a sharp contrast to the
tense relationship between Julie and Jim. However, the entry of Charles
(charmingly played by Ben Roberts) in the middle of Julie and Jim’s affair is ineffective, and it only serves as an
unnecessary distraction to the plot. The triumvirate of Douglas Rees (Mr. Smith/Conductor), Anthony L.
Gaskins (Porter) and Craig Roe (Leo Stern) deliver fine performances in their
brief roles. Victoria Mack (Kittie Van Dyck), Joey Parsons (Ethel Halstead) and
John Wernke (Alfred Bemis) also provide valuable support to the production. Director Jackson Gay has undoubtedly assembled a truly talented
cast, from the veterans to the neophytes. However, the entire cast was upstaged
by someone who doesn't even have to show her face. Indeed, the acting debut
here of one of the newbies who did not even utter a comprehensible line of
dialogue is noteworthy. It is the baby who steals the show from the brilliant
actors in this production. The baby cries, laughs and does various
scene-stealing antics on cue. And she never misses a beat. If there is an award
for a performance by a baby (or an inanimate object), this baby would take the
top prize, hands down. Kudos to Jane Shaw for creating what is probably the
most convincing performance by a baby on stage. Despite the challenge posed by its limited space, Mint Theater
Company consistently provides neatly constructed and terrific stage design in
every production. A Little Journey is no exception. The sight of a moving train
in such a cramped space is such a treat that a lady in the audience
spontaneously applauded in delight. Indeed, Roger Hanna's inventive set design
is brilliant. However, the stage’s claustrophobic feel could have been neutralized had some
sceneries been installed in the background instead of just a black curtain. Martha Hally's simple costume design evokes the fashion of the
period, and effectively enhances each actor’s depiction of his/her character’s socio-economic status. Paul Whitaker's lighting and Joshua Yokom’s props also help enhance the overall production. A Little Journey is undoubtedly another well-polished production
by Mint Theater Company which has admirably taken the cudgels for unearthing
and producing long-forgotten gems. However, one wishes that the baby is at least acknowledged in the
cast list.
OFF-BROADWAY REVIEW OF A LITTLE JOURNEY
Reviewed by Ron S. Covar
Published 2011-06-13
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