by Tony Annicone
GAMM Theatre’s closing show of their season is “The Children” by Lucy Kirkwood. It’s a thought-provoking play that is 90 minutes long with no intermission and takes place in a remote English cottage by the sea. This is where retired scientists Robin and Hazel are determined to grow old together while the world around them crumbles. The couple tries to live normally after a disaster at the local power station where they used to work. It has devastated the area, and the threat of radiation pollution hangs over their heads. Robin and Hazel try to continue their daily routines of practicing yoga, tending to their cows, and rationing their electricity. However, their tranquil world is rattled by the arrival of their friend and former colleague, Rose. After working in America for 38 years, she shows up with a life-altering request that reveals uncovered secrets. The three of them were instrumental in constructing the power plant so close to populated areas many years ago and must face the consequences of their actions. Inspired by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear explosion, these include being concerned about future generations.
Steve Kidd is this show’s director, making it comic at first and suspenseful as it progresses as you try to figure out the real reason for Rose’s visit. The acting is phenomenal from start to finish. The play keeps the audience guessing what secrets are hidden among these three people. Why has Rose returned to visit them after all these years? We find out what’s happening in the show’s final moments, where the audience is stunned and frightened by what they observe. Subtle clues are dropped now and then, leading to laughter before the dramatic finish. Steve’s wife, Jessica Hill Kidd, built the beautiful English cottage set. She’s not only the set designer but also the production manager. The costumes are by David Howard, and the lighting by James Horban is especially effective at the show’s close. Helping to temper the heaviness of the subject matter is a dance and yoga scene. The yoga consultant is Amy Smith, while the dance choreographer is Lea D’Arminio. The dancing and yoga scenes are very comical, lightening the dark moments to come. The assistant to the director is Omar Laguerre-Lewis, a marvelous actor.
The three performers in this show do astounding work. Candace Brown as Hazel and Phyllis Kaye as Rose open the show, with Hazel mistaking Rose for an intruder in the cottage. Hazel seems to be a woman in complete control of her emotions, but as the show progresses, we start to wonder if that’s the case. Rose projects warmth and caring but harbors a secret the audience yearns to learn and understand. One of her most essential lines is, “We can’t have everything we want just because we want it,” which shows that maybe she’s not as sweet as one might think. Richard Donnelly appears later in the show after he’s returned from their dairy farm having “milked” the cows. He is calm and reassured of his relationship with these two women but also seems to have hidden secrets. They all seem sorry for their work on the nuclear plant and want to make amends for their actions. However, is it too little and too late? The show is full of the characters’ personalities, humor, history with each other, ideas, and conflict.
The show’s main message is to take responsibility for our actions. It seems like the past always seems to catch up to the present. These three mesmerizing performers will enthrall you and intrigue you in their mysterious reunion, and after the reunion is the reckoning about how we leave the world for our children. Rose asks many times at the show’s start, “How are the children,” which warns everyone to be conscious of the legacy we leave behind when we are gone. We must also worry about the troubling issues we are leaving behind. So, for a contemporary show and cautionary tale that resonates with the audience, be sure to catch “The Children” at Gamm Theatre. To get tickets go to their website at www.gammtheatre.org
THE CHILDREN (27 April to 14 May)
GAMM Theatre, 1249 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick, RI
1(401)723-4266
