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Friday, Nov 21, 2008
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Birdie Blue opens at Seattle Repertory Theatre |
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| Birdie Blue opens at Seattle Repertory Theatre | ||
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by Miryam Gordon -
SGN A&E Writer BIRDIE BLUE BY CHERYL WEST DIRECTED BY CHUCK SMITH STARRING VELMA AUSTIN, SEAN BLAKE, WILLIAM HALL, JR. SEATTLE REPERTORY THEATRE THROUGH DECEMBER 16 Birdie Blue is a portrait of a lower-class Chicago woman of simple means and simple aspiration, living a fairly "ordinary" life. A sort of a down-in-the-trenches portrayal of a life story similar to so many of us: a few ups, many downs, burdens that are so heavy people have to remind us, "God doesn't give you more than you can bear." Birdie now has the burden of taking care of her cherished husband, who has deteriorated into a difficult Alzheimer's child. William Hall, Jr. - one of Seattle's best actors - takes on this amazing challenge so honestly that it sometimes hurts to look at him. This depiction of an Alzheimer victim and the caretaker is not one usually found in theater. Maybe that will change in the future, but Cheryl West must be given proper honor for her willingness to bring to the theater a life that is so difficult and embarrassing and realistic. However, the structure of the play is far from realistic, dealing as it does with Birdie's memories through flashback. These memory flashbacks fill in the rest of Birdie's history, but they are not chronological and are one of the difficulties with the play. The flashbacks are not crisply delineated. It's not clear, many times, when it's a current moment and when it's a flashback, though ultimately we still get the story. Is it fair to wish the memories to be clearer? Does everything have to be spelled out? Perhaps not. Perhaps the aspect of having to work it out as an audience is part of what the playwright intends. Velma Austin, an award-winning Chicago actress, is Birdie. She is riveting to watch, but as Birdie says, she's "no saint." In fact, she is often angry and even violent. Her penchant for striking her loved ones was indulged with disturbing frequency. She has fleeting moments of happiness, such as when she met her husband. Occasionally, she is coaxed into a smile. Sean Blake plays four key roles with adroitness and finesse. Besides Birdie and her husband, he is the only other player. He is Birdie's son as a very young boy, a teenager, and an angry young black man ready to fight. He is also a funeral parlor friend of Birdie's, Birdie's sister, Minerva, and a young, abused man who she befriends and encourages named "Little Pimp." Blake seems equally adroit playing a woman as a man and his characters are seamlessly different. It is easy to imagine that the players are different people. The set was crowded - as it might be in a small home - but it all seemed to be piles of suitcases, which proved distracting. The production still feels like a work in progress. It seemed the moments of happiness were too brief, and if there were more such moments, the audience might have an opportunity to connect more with Birdie (who is not such a likable person). West is an important playwright, clearly adept at her craft. Seattle is lucky to have drawn her to live here. More of her work, even when not fully polished, must be produced. She challenges us to look at real controversies and consider difficult, emotional issues. This is one such challenge. It's worth your while to rise to the occasion. For more information, go to www.seattlerep.org or call (206) 443-2222. Comments on reviews? E-mail sgncritic@gmail.com. |
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