by Mike Hoban
‘Tea at Five’ – Written by Matthew Lombardo; Directed by John Tillinger; Set Design by Scott Pask; Lighting Design by Kevin Adams; Costume Design by Jane Greenwood; Sound Design by John Gromada; Projection Design by Aaron Rhyne; Wig Design by Tom Watson. Presented at the Huntington Avenue Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave., Boston through July 14
It’s 1983 and legendary silver screen star Katharine Hepburn is sitting on her couch at the family home in Fenwick, Connecticut, recovering from an ankle injury incurred when she crashed her car into a telephone pole. After popping a couple of Percocet and pouring herself a Dewar’s, Hepburn launches into her life story, which forms the basis for Tea at Five, a dramatic monologue infused with humorous asides by playwright Matthew Lombardo.
The 75-minute solo show stars another screen icon, Faye Dunaway, in what is alleged to be a pre-Broadway engagement. Lombardo, whose original two-act starred Kate Mulgrew and premiered in 2002 (later copping an IRNE Award for best solo play), focused on Hepburn at age 31 in Act I and at 76 in Act II. The new adaptation focuses solely on the star in her later years, reminiscing about her life, career, and of course, her 27-year affair with Spencer Tracy.
The title of the play refers to a Hepburn family tradition of gathering for tea at 5pm to discuss a range of topics, including sex and politics, probably not standard teatime fare at the turn of the 20th Century. The daughter of progressive parents in an otherwise all-Republican neighborhood, she was taught to be a free thinker, which would be reflected in a number of her choices in life, including fashion (wearing trousers long before it was fashionable) and marriage (just say no, save for a marriage at 21 to industrialist Ludlow Ogden Smith, which lasted six years).
On the topic of her film career, she speaks mostly of her early years, from initial success (an Oscar at 26 for Morning Glory) to being labeled “box office poison” after a string of movie flops (including Bringing Up Baby‘ which is now included in the American Film Institute’s top 100 films), to the hit that revived her career, The Philadelphia Story. Along the way, she was not hired/fired for her looks (too odd, or not pretty enough) and her personality (demanding to say the least), but she persevered and became a mega star. The script for Tea at Five never really rises much above made-for-TV movie depth, however, save for two dramatic highlights.
The first details her discovering her 15 year-old brother after he hanged himself, and the bizarre Yankee way in which both she and her the family handled the tragedy. But what should have been the dramatic highlight of the evening was lost for the same reason that much of the production falls short – on opening night Dunaway was still very unsure of her lines (she wore an earpiece to help out) and as a result, was unable able to fully embody the character or at times, manage much more than a stilted line reading. This occurred with some frequency at the performance I attended, but one hopes that the problem corrects itself as the run continues. And since she’s not trying to impersonate Hepburn or copy her mannerisms too closely, it’s probably within her grasp.
Dunaway fared much better with the play’s second opportunity, her affair with Spencer Tracy. She thoroughly embraces Hepburn’s heart-wrenching desperation at watching Tracy choose the bottle over her time and again, and captures the pain that she must have experienced as she continually debased herself in keeping the affair going until the bitter end.
As theater, Tea at Five is not particularly interesting, as the play lacks any real dramatic arc, but as an evening of entertainment, watching one screen legend pay homage to another icon is at least a fun curiosity. And if you’re a fan of Hepburn or want to catch an up-close glimpse of Dunaway, now’s your chance. The opening night crowd gave her a thunderous standing ovation, so Tea at Five clearly has its charms. For tickets and info, go to: https://www.bostontheatrescene.com/season/tea-at-five/
