by Mike Hoban
Dancing at Lughnasa; Written by Brian Friel; Directed by Benny Sato Ambush; Scenic Design, Janie Howland; Sound Design, Arshan Gailus; Lighting Design, Karen Perlow; Costume Design, Miranda Giurleo. Presented by Gloucester Stage at 267 E. Main St., Gloucester through July 8.
Is it possible to leave a theater with a smile on your face knowing that two of the play’s endearingly forlorn characters will die lonely deaths and that their siblings will live out the remainder their lives devoid of any real fulfillment? If you’ve just seen the Gloucester Stage production of Brian Friel’s classic work, Dancing at Lughnasa, then the answer is a resounding yes. Superbly acted by an exceptional ensemble and brilliantly directed by Benny Sato Ambush, the play explores the bleak but hopeful existence of the five Mundy sisters in the tiny village of Ballybeg in County Donegal during the Celtic harvest festival of the play’s title. Narrated in flashback from the point of view of Michael (Ed Hoopman), the now grown up son of the youngest sister, unwed mother Christina, the play details the summer of his seventh year, when forces from within and without conspired to push the heretofore resilient family to its breaking point.
It is 1936, and the unmarried Mundy sisters share a cottage in the countryside, with schoolteacher Kate (Lindsay Crouse), being the only full time wage earner. She watches over and provides for her siblings, but that caring comes with the price tag of an unyielding matriarchal domination, as we learn when the sisters enthusiastically begin discussing returning to the pagan-esque harvest dance for the first time in years. “Dancing at our time of day (age)? That’s for young people with no duties and no responsibilities and nothing in their heads but pleasure,” she barks. “Do you want the whole countryside to be laughing at us?” And the matter is summarily closed.
Sister Maggie (Jenny Israel) is the principal homemaker, as well as the one responsible for keeping the undercurrent of despair at bay. Agnes (Bryn Austin) and developmentally disabled Rose (Samantha Richert) knit gloves to contribute to the household, while Christina (Cassie Gilling) cares for her son Michael and helps out with chores. But the lives of the women are upended with the arrival of two men that summer – Brother Jack, a Catholic priest, and Gerry, the Welshman who fathered Michael. Jack (Paddy Swanson) is returning from his work as a missionary in a leper colony in a remote village in Uganda, where he may have adopted a little too much of the native culture, including turning away from his Catholic faith. Gerry (Chris Kandra) is a handsome and charismatic ne’er do well, whom the women alternately disapprove of and adore – particularly Christina (and possibly another sister), who despite his demonstrated track record, will always succumb to his charms.
There is another transformative element introduced into the Mundy household that summer, in the form of Marconi, the wireless radio that seems to have a mind of its own. It only plays intermittently, but when it does play music, it sets the women dancing, including one frenzied episode that makes the sisters appear to be possessed by spirits. Even the normally staid Kate looks to be in the grip of an unseen force as she solitarily stomps and twirls like a banshee. But even the magic of the radio is not enough to stave off the cumulative forces bearing down on the women in their cramped Irish cottage.
For a play that is essentially a tragedy, it often has a wonderfully joyous feel to it, and that is a testament to the caliber of Friel’s writing and the quintessentially Irish mindset that allows him to extract mirth from painful experiences. That writing is allowed to fully breathe under Sato Ambush’s light but dexterous touch and the wonderful performances by his actors. The most honest thing I can say about the production is that it never feels like we’re watching a play, but rather that we’re peering through our neighbor’s windows, a sense aided greatly by the intimate setting of the Gloucester Stage theater. The set by Janie Howland initially appears simple but is in fact highly detailed, right down to the small wooden cross on the mantle, and Arshan Gailus’ sound design has a magic of its own.
While it seems unfair to single out any individual acting performances in this production, Gloucester resident Crouse is exceptional as she masterfully balances Kate’s controlling tendencies with a genuine warmth and compassion for her sisters. Jenny Israel beautifully conveys the riddle- emitting Maggie’s optimistic nature in the face of despondency, and Richert creates a fully realized character in the person of Rose, adopting a physicality in her performance that is truly remarkable.
Quite simply, Dancing at Lughnasa is the best dramatic production I have seen on any stage – large or small – this year. See it. For tickets and info, go to: http://gloucesterstage.com/
