Families in turmoil and Pulitzer Prizes for drama march hand-in-hand across St. Louis stages this week. The vicious "August: Osage County," the winner two years ago, opened on Tuesday at the Fox, and the 1971 winner, "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds," a strong, excellent production by Stray Dog Theatre, arrived last night at Tower Grove Abbey, to run through March 20.
Paul Zindel's tale of a hounding, hectoring Mom opened in Houston in 1964, reached New York in 1970 with Shelley Winters as the scornful, envy-driven Beatrice, got to Hollywood in 1972 with a film version starring Joanne Woodward and directed by Paul Newman. It stands up these many years later because family bickering obviously remains a constant in everyone's life.
Andra Harkins leads the way with a fierce performance. Some may see it as over-acting and scenery-chewing, but I thought she demanded–and got–the audience's full attention. If she went over the top from time to time, well, Beatrice was that kind of woman. Deserted by her husband (as the playwright's father did), she dreams big but has nothing to show for it, so she drags everyone down to her level, then uses the effects of too much alcohol to kick them around for the sheer joy of it. I found her performance gripping, and she was costumed perfectly, a slip and a ratty, worn bathrobe early on, then a jacket and hat that looked right from a wear-your-worst costume party or as a trick-or-treater.
Her daughters, Tillie and Ruth, are high-schoolers very much the worse for wear. They cannot get away from this unbalanced jailer who makes their lives miserable in every possible respect. Tillie, finding love from Peter, a pet rabbit, and some hope from teachers and a science fair project, is too often stricken speechless by her mother's drunken harangues, but she is strong enough to find a light in an otherwise dark and gloomy world. Ruth shows the potential to be as mean as her mother. Allison Ginsburg, as Tillie, and Jessica Cohen, as Ruth, are high school students; their work is effective, though Cohen tends to speak too fast. Sally Eaton is on hand as Nanny, an aging, non-speaking invalid who sits and stares into space, having nothing to do except serve as a target for Beatrice's venom.
And then there's Taylor Beidler, another high schooler, as another contestant in the science fair. She's in one scene, with one brief speech discussing her entry, the skeleton of a cat. Beidler's description of its preparation is an absolute hoot, and she delivers in magnificent style.
Gary F. Bell directed most effectively, and his work with the three young actors deserves special plaudits, as do his costume choices. Add another shout-out to Justin Been for his sound design, featuring a series of orchestral pieces with movie-score overtones that were fascinating, unusual and tuneful.
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds by Stray Dog Theatre, at Tower Grove Abbey through March 20
–Joe