A Local Show

“I swear, if you existed, I’d divorce you,” is one of the many lines Ms. Martie Groat Philpot sneers at Richard Philpot in the Whole Art production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? This play, of course, is full of marital sneers, and could act as the field guide to people in need of counseling, and it is executed rather well.
The stage is set in the middle of the room, with the audience surrounding the actors completely. The liquor cabinet is prominently displayed as it’s contents are the vehicle for many a vociferous accusation and tearful revelation. The actors constantly revisit the numerous bottles to revitalize their palette with venom, and refill their hearts with regret.
This is were the leads shine, granted this is a community showing, but the leads are seasoned actors, and even the secondary characters are Whole Art veterans. And the Philpots bring the characters of Martha and George to life nicely. Martha stands hunched, pacing like a cat, with her neck outstretched, so as to more forcefully expose George’s failings to her guests through a gravelly, nicotine-lined windpipe. George quivers behind his spectacles in the beginning, but standing upright and dangerous, like an active volcano later, reinforced by his impressive blood-alcohol content.
Their performances, adequate at the very worst, makes the awkward performances of the secondary characters much more noticeable. Carol Zombro often overplays her drunkenness, and attempts to make each line essential to the story. Even when she wasn’t interacting with the characters, the audience could hear her intoxicated sighing from the couch on which she was plopped like a rag doll.
Her husband, portrayed by Trevor M. Maher, also suffers from over-emphasis and over-acting in general. His lines are shouted through a perpetual grimace, to the point that the audience feels even more uncomfortable than they should. This effect is augmented during the few moments in which Mr. Maher attempts to smoke cigarettes, making one fantasize about a cigarette training camp for actors playing characters that smoke.
Blackened lungs aside, the production was not without other hiccups. There were dropped lines, awkward pauses, and the characters occasionally made the audience unsure when to laugh. However it was undeniably directed with passion. We are to focus on the torment and instability of married life, on the regrets and on the uncertainties that can drive people insane. Yet the unwavering focus on marriage detracts from the wider scope of the original, which noted factors of frustration outside of marital life.
In many ways, this adaptation of a classic is the epitome of independent showings. It had much of the brilliance of the original, while still managing to miss some of the point. That coupled with strong performances, and weak ones, an intimate set placement, and some elementary school acting mistakes make this production embody what we love and hate about local theatre. Leisurely, and not overly serious, while still letting the audience feel like they got their money’s worth.