Love is an evasive and duplicitous passion in life.
It can inspire the greatest sense of security. Other times its power devolves
the psyche into the deepest state of paranoia and fear. Love drives humans to
the greatest heights of empathy and compassion while also driving murderous
rage and greed. The ever changing face of love is often the focus of great
works of art and theater.
Vineyard Valley Theatre
presented 10 short plays on the many faces of love May 25. The subjects ranged
from the comfort of long-standing love with a partner and its resulting
complacency and desire for passion, to an artist’s love for the craft and the
ensuing conundrum when faced with the opportunity to make money at the expense
of the product.
Encompassing classic works
from William Shakespeare and scripts from Pulitzer Prize-winners Donald
Margulies, John Patrick Shanley and Christopher Durang, the staged script reading presented a diverse and
compelling look at the splendor, torture and dignity of love.
The cast, which included
stand-out performances from Bradley Whitford of
“Philadelphia” and “The West Wing” as well as Jane Kaczmarek
of “Malcolm in the Middle,” produced intense, often funny and always superb
performances despite the physical limitations of carrying a script.
To end the evening, Whitford and Kaczmarek nailed a
tender scene from Margulies’ “A Dinner with Friends,” in which there was an
unexpected and ultimately hilarious firecracker explosion that interrupted the
climax of the scene three consecutive times. As Whitford’a
character tried to guide the somber conversation about the couple’s friends
back to the comfort of their love, he begins his nightly ritual of scaring Kaczmarek’s character with a loud “boo.” As Kaczmarek was pleading with him not to, the first firecracker
went off. Taking it in stride, the audience erupted into laughter and the
actors held their beat awaiting the opportunity to continue their reading. When
the clamor subsided, Kaczmarek again returned to
imploring her husband not to scare her. Again, a firecracker burst outside the
open-air theater. At the third interruption, both actors lost control and
joined the audience in a well-deserved round laughter.
Earlier in the evening, Whitford joined “ER” star Noah Wyle, Tony Plana of “JFK” and Sharon Lawrence of “NYPD Blue” for a
riotous rendition of Shanley’s “Welcome to the Moon.”
The short play delved into the world suppressed love and its effect on a small
circle of friends who hadn’t been reunited in years.
From the unrequited to the
fizzling aftermath, love was front and center in an evening of laughs, intimacy
and top-notch acting and Vineyard Valley Theatre triumphantly presented its
first show in what should be a successful new chapter in Valley theater.