Enchanted April
Enchanted April
By Matthew Barber
Adapted from a novel by Elizabeth von Armin
Directed by Aradhana Tiwari
Starring Melanie Whipple and Elizabeth Dean
Mad Cow Theatre, Orlando FL</strong>
This might be the dimmest lit play I’ve ever seen, and the resulting reconstruction of a gray British February was amazing. In this dank and depressing clime, ditzy Lotty Wilton (Whipple) chances upon a magical advert: “Castle for Rent – complete with wisteria and sunshine.” Sounds good, as does Italy and a chance to escape form a stifling marriage. Lotty picks up Rose Arnott (Dean); they vaguely know each other from church and after a decent sales job they make the deposit for a month in heaven. Splitting the cost is flapper Caroline Bramble (Piper Patterson) and imposing matron Mrs. Graves (Karel Wright). Lottie’s the Pollyanna; everything is wonderful from the wisteria to the iffy plumbing to the bickering between her room mates. The “no men for a month rules” quickly falls, Lotty sends for her husband Mellersh (Steven Lima) and Roses’ writer hubby Frederick (Tommy Keesling) drops in unexpectedly. Unexpectedly by Rose and by Ms. Bramble, he’s been romancing her under his pen name and the reunion is a bit awkward. But all resolves quickly and painlessly, there’s an unattached landlord Antony (Andrew Stark) in need of a girl and we discover that not only does travel broaden you; it can wipe off some of those crotchety edges as well.
True, this is a bit fluffy but I’ve seen two hangings this week and the light heart is well appreciated. The name Mellersh fascinated me; I’ve never heard it before and for while I struggled to understand what Lotty was calling this man. The women all made fine archetypes, the ditz, the conservative ‘fraidy cat, the sexy flapper the domineering matron and the put upon servant all rang true. Karel Wright was truly scary in the first act, I would have fled in fear rather than lock myself away with her snippy and demanding persona. Whipple and Dean felt like sisters, one afraid and the other on a permanent adventure and getting away from a domineering hubby like Mellersh took gumption. I though Mr. Arnott and Ms. Bramble made an interesting if unstable couple, he the philandering older man and she the young thing in a permanent pair of silk pajamas, but it was landlord who seemed to be the real catch. Gossip, gossip, gossip, that’s what you want on vacation, and there’s lots in the air.
Despite the dark first act the set (by Doug Huston) was magical, turn a few brick walls around and you’re not just in Italy, but in a magnificent Klimt-like world of flowers and sunshine. Living in the dark and cloudy north can make you barn-sour and some sunshine in winter is always good for the soul. That’s what this show is – sunshine for the soul.
For more information on Mad Cow, please visit http://www.madcowtheatre.com
