Reviewed by Judd Hollander
Choosing to die with dignity when your body is falling apart
is a hotly debated topic. But what happens when one's entire family agrees with
that decision, only to see the person in question live on for longer than
expected? Such is the basic premise in Lily Thorne's playwriting debut, Peace for Mary Frances, now being
presented by The New Group. An interesting idea to be sure. Unfortunately Thorne
loads up the story with so many characters and sub-plots, the show sinks under
its own weight long before the final curtain.
Mary Frances (Lois Smith), having reached the age of 90, has
gotten to the point where she feels she can no longer enjoy life. She needing
she assistance to go to the bathroom, get into bed and simply get off the
couch. She is also taking numerous medications that need to be administered on
a strict schedule. However, Fanny (Johanna Day), the youngest of Mary Frances'
three children, and her companion during the daylight hours, is not all there
mentally, and thus unable to ensure proper steps are followed in this regard.
Fanny is also a recovering drug addict and not allowed to spend the night at
the family home due to an earlier incident with a lit cigarette. As a result,
Mary Frances' other daughter Alice (J. Smith-Cameron), must become her primary
caregiver, even as she makes plans to die in her own bed.
Alice and Fanny, as quickly made clear, have a long-standing
adversarial relationship; neither trusting the other. At least part of the
problem stemming from the period when Fanny was a regular drug user. Yet Alice
is no angel either. She having in the past gone through a long period of not
speaking to her mother. The animosity between mother and daughter so strong that,
for a time, Alice was cut out of
Mary Frances' will.
L-R: Natalie Gold, Lois
Smith, Heather Burns in Lily Thorne's "Peace for Mary Frances,"
directed by Lila Neugebauer. This world premiere Off-Broadway production from
The New Group plays at The Pershing Square Signature Center.
www.thenewgroup.org. Photo Credit: Monique Carboni.
All these issues would be ratings fodder for any number of
self-help shows. However for something like this to work on stage, the author
needs to know where they're going with the story, and what they're specifically
trying to say. Something which is sadly not the case here. The various characters
are only half-developed, while the audience experiences numerous plot lines
which are often left hanging. Such as Helen suddenly attacking Fanny during a
verbal altercation - the matter just as suddenly dropped. We also never really
get an idea of who Alice is or what
caused her prior estrangement from her mother. As for Fanny, she disappears for
much of the last third of the show, appearing only twice thereafter. The first
scene of which makes no sense, given what we know of the character up to that
point.
There are also questions about Mary Frances herself. Not only may she be healthier than she lets on, but she also shows herself to be a rather manipulative woman. She continually playing each of her daughters off the other. The biggest irony of the show is its title. Mary Frances supposedly just wanting to die in peace, but she is often the one continually stirring up drama and keeping everybody on edge.
It also doesn't help that the show has numerous characters
one doesn't really care about. Such as Eddie (Paul Lazar), brother to Fanny and
Alice, and the family lawyer, who comes by to visit once a week and go over his
mother's affairs. Though why he's so detached from everything, except at the
very end, is another question that's never answered. Also, the idea of the
family calling an assisted care facility right out of the phone book, without
doing any research on them, also doesn't ring true.
Both the acting and directing are more than adequate here. Smith, Day and Smith-Cameron all doing excellent jobs in their not-always-sympathetic roles. Most of the supporting cast also doing the best they can with what they have to work with. Brian Miskell, playing a hospice psychologist, injects a brief bit of levity into the story when he assures Alice and her daughters that this isn't the worst family situation he's ever had to deal with. A remark which provoked more than a little knowing laughter from the audience. Lila Neugebauer's direction moves the story along nicely as she works to bring some extra life to the various moments of tension and confrontation.
A hospice nurse (Mia Katigbak) tells Mary Frances at one
point how some people refuse to die when they still have unfinished business. Applying
that axiom the play itself, Peace For
Mary Frances could do with some serious reworking before appearing in its
next stage incarnation.
Featuring Heather Burns (Helen), Johanna Day (Fanny),
Natalie Gold (Rosie), Mia Katigbak (Bonnie), Paul Lazar (Eddie), Brian Miskell
(Michael), Melle Powers (Clara), Lois Smith (Mary Frances), J. Smith-Cameron
(Alice).
Peace for Mary Frances
Written by Lily Thorne
Scenic Design: Dane Laffrey
Costume Design: Jessica Pabst
Costume Design: Tyler Micoleau
Music & Sound Design: Daniel Kluger
Production Supervisor: Five Ohm Productions
Production Stage Manager: Valerie A. Peterson
Matthew Frew: Properties Manager
Nicole Iovino: Assistant Stage Manager
Emily Moler: Assistant Director
Casting: Judy Henderson, CSA
Public Relations: Bridget Klapinski
Public Relations: Bridget Klapinski
Advertising: AKA
Associated Artistic Director: Ian Morgan
Development Director: Jamie Lehrer
General Manager: Kevin Condardo
Marketing Director: Stephanie Warren
Directed by Lila Neugebauer
Presented by The New Group
Tickets: 212-279-4200 or www.thenewgroup.org
Running Time: 2 Hours 40 Minutes, one intermission
Closes: June 17,
2018
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