HILBERRY'S “BIG LOVE” IS A FAST-PACED AND FUN BATTLE OF THE SEXES
By
SUE SUCHYTA
Wherever you are in time and space,
as long as there are men and women, the battle of the sexes will continue
unabated. Sometimes funny, and sometimes sad, we can all take away lessons from
the comedies and dramas that play out on local stages.
On the Wayne State University
campus, the graduate level Hilberry Theatre presents Charles Mee’s, “Big Love,”
a dark comedy based on one of the world’s oldest plays, “The Suppliant Women”
by Aeschylus. You if you think an adaptation is destined to be dull, think again.
Set in the present day, brides in arranged marriages flee their country, pursued by their arranged grooms. Funny and terse in turn, the play explores human rights abuses, gender politics, domestic violence and love.
Set in the present day, brides in arranged marriages flee their country, pursued by their arranged grooms. Funny and terse in turn, the play explores human rights abuses, gender politics, domestic violence and love.
The show is vibrant, fast-paced and
well acted, with sophisticated tech, and brings out many sides of a story of
reluctant brides running from persistent grooms.
“Big Love” plays at the Hilberry,
Wayne State University’s graduate-level theatre now through Dec. 7, with 8 p.m.
Friday and Saturday shows and 2 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday matinees.
Tickets are $12 to $30, and are
available through the box office, at 4743 Cass at Hancock in Detroit, by phone,
313-577-2972, or online at wsushows.com. For more information, go to http://theatre.wayne.edu.
The show, directed by Blair
Anderson, features Sarah Hawkins Moan as Lydia, Megan Barbour as Olympia and
Danielle Cochrane as Thyona, three runaway brides.
Annie
Keris plays Bella and Eleanor, a mother and a foreign houseguest respectively,
while Brandy Joe Plambeck portraying Piero, the homeowner where they seek
refuge, and Leo, a flamboyant weekend guest. Topher Payne plays Guiliano, one
of Bella’s sons.
David Sterritt plays Constantine, Brandon
Grantz plays Oed and Brent Griffith plays Nikos, the three pursuing grooms.
Each
company member captures the unique personality traits of their character, and
displays them in myriad entertaining ways.
As
Thyona, one of the runaway brides, Cochrane exudes a palpable, edgy anger,
while Barbour, as Olympia, is more of a follower. She plays a ditzy blonde who
doesn’t want to be bossed around, but who really likes men – a girly-girl who
loves to flirt and who enjoys the attention it earns her.
Moan,
as Lydia, is on precarious middle ground. Although she also resents being
forced into an arranged marriage, she still believes in love, and is swayed
when her prospective groom, Nikos, played by Griffith, admits he has been in
love with her from a distance for years.
The
other two perspective grooms parallel the brides’ personalities – Sterritt
plays the angry, determined and driven Constantine against Cochrane’s equally
resistant Thyona, while Grantz as Oed (pronounced Ed, perhaps humorously short
for Oedipus) is more of a follower like Barbour’s Olympia.
Keris
is delightful as Bella, the estate’s Grand Dame, who is a surrogate mother to
the reluctant brides. Her descriptions of her many sons, using tomatoes to
physically represent her love and frustration for them, is a hilarious yet
telling scene. She is equally at home playing a visiting houseguest, acting as
big sister and best friend to the troubled trio of women.
Plambeck
portrays Piero, the estate’s owner, a savvy, yet
conservative businessman, and Leo, a flamboyant house guest.
Payne
is fun to follow as the exuberant and likely gay younger son of Bella.
The
beautiful set, which incorporates projections upon high upstage white drapes,
is the work of Leazah Behrens. The lighting and sound designs, by Thomas
Schraeder and Samuel Byers respectively, significantly enhance the production
as well. The helicopter sound of the pursuing grooms is a classic touch.
The
costumes, designed by Anne Suchyta, further bring out each character’s
personality. The ones that end up soaked with stage blood must also be easy to
wash between Saturday matinee and evening performances.
The
show is fun to watch, quick paced, and brings out each character’s spins on their
own battle of the sexes, as well as the forces driving their personalities and
desires.
The
talented company will run “Big Love” in rotating repertoire with Moliere’s “A
Doctor in Spite of Himself,” which opens Nov. 15 and runs select dates through
Feb. 8, with Dec. 7 the closing date of “Big Love.”
For
more information about the program, go to www.cfpca.wayne.edu/theatreanddance.
