Susan Granger’s review of “Flyin’ West” (Westport Country Playhouse)
Diversity in story-telling and ‘minority’ inclusion are the current cultural buzzwords, so Westport Country Playhouse gets admirably high points for opening the new season with Pearl Cleage’s troubling, finely textured, powerful play.
Set in the 1898 in the tiny Kansas town of Nicodremus, founded by African-Americans soon after the Civil War, this melodrama revolves around Miss Leah (unbeatable Brenda Pressley), a former slave and now the elderly, resourceful matriarch of an ‘adopted’ extended family.
There’s shotgun-toting, pioneer-woman Sophie Washington (Nikiya Mathis) and sweetly optimistic, empathetic Fannie Dove (Brittany Bradford), who has a respectful, protective admirer, Wil Parish (handsome Edward O’Blenis).
As their story begins, they’re awaiting the arrival of their beloved, recently married sister Minnie Dove Charles (Keona Welch), returning from London, England, with her nasty, scheming husband Frank Charles (Michael Chenevert), a light-skinned mulatto who is trying to claim part of his deceased Caucasian father’s estate.
Their background and relationships are explained in the tediously expository first act. The harsh reality of Minnie’s abusive marriage and Frank’s despicable duplicity highlight the second act.
The thought-provoking drama is heightened by the authenticity of Heidi Leigh Hanson’s costumes, Marjorie Grandle Kellogg’s interior farmhouse set, and Stephen Strawbridge’s effective lighting.
Unfortunately, seated under the balcony in the third row from the back, I found deciphering the dialogue difficult, particularly for the lengthy soliloquies delivered by the female characters. Even those near me with auditory devices had problems. Why director Seret Scott didn’t tell her actresses to project more or use microphones is a mystery.
Finally, since baking an apple pie is integral to the second act, it’s too bad there was no aroma when it came out of the oven. The musical “Waitress” revolves around pie-baking, and the theater was filled with the intoxicating scent of freshly baked apple pie, which added immeasurably to the reality.
“Flyin’ West” runs at the Westport Country Playhouse through June 16. For tickets and information, call the box-office at 203-227-4177 or go to westportplayhouse.org.