‘The Last Wide Open’ – By Audrey Cefaly; Music by Matthew M. Nielson; Directed by Nancy Curran Willis; Scenic Design by Jerry Wedge; Costume Design by Brian Simons; Sound Design by James Cannon; Lighting Design by SeifAllah Sallotto-Cristobal; Presented by The Umbrella Stage Company, 40 Stow St, Concord, MA through October 10th.
by Tom Boudrot
Audrey Cefaly’s The Last Wide Open takes a multi-faceted look at personal decision-making in the moment, and how each choice may affect the rest of our lives in important ways. It’s a tale that tells us to be brave in our decision making, but beware, as we never can know the future – and that’s probably a good thing.
The play is set solely in Frankie’s Italian restaurant, but it spans years in a kind of ‘What If?’ look at possible outcomes of a (potential) love story. The tale jumps back and forth between three – or is it four? – possible scenarios and spans fifteen years. But each scenario is centered around the interactions of two characters on one stormy night. Roberto, an Italian immigrant played by Ethan Butler, and Lina, a sometimes waitress/sometimes customer played by Rebecca Shor. While a storm rages outside and knocks the lights out inside, the couple comes to grips with their own life decisions and the possibilities of this unexpected encounter with each other.
The show is highlighted by some enjoyable musical breaks with songs written by Matthew M. Nielson, played and sung beautifully by Shor and Butler (who also plays guitar), with help from Kayla Shimizu who is whimsically billed as “Stagehand” but who actually contributes music and some comic moments to the play. Shimizu never speaks, but injects wonderful humor into the scenes without being a distraction to the ever changing, time-shifting scenarios.
The play may sound harder to follow than it actually is, but the audience is kept on track by the constant and often funny breaking of the fourth wall by both main characters. Roberto even stops at one point to elicit some opinions from the audience to help bolster his argument. The script is peppered with laughs and delivered with great comic timing by the cast. And the combination of the evocative lighting and the staging makes for a visually attractive, yet realistic place for the actors to work.
The Umbrella Theater Company is back in action after the COVID pandemic slammed the brakes on last year’s season. The Umbrella is easing audiences back into live theater by requiring proof of vaccination or negative test results, mandatory mask wearing, and capping seating at half-capacity (you’re guaranteed a great view!). The Last Wide Open is a great start to the return of live entertainment in historic Concord. For tickets and information, go to: https://theumbrellaarts.org/
