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Regional Reviews: Phoenix 'night Mother Also see Gil's review of The Trial of One Short-Sighted Black Woman vs. Mammy Louise and Safreeta Mae
The play centers around Jessie, a middle-aged woman who lives with her mother Thelma in her modest home. At the very beginning of the play, Jessie calmly announces to Thelma that she intends to end her life by the end of the night. Over the next 95 minutes, as the play unfolds in real time, we witness truths being revealed and the heart-wrenching conversation the two have as Jessie prepares for her final act, organizing her affairs and explaining her decision to her mother. Thelma, in disbelief, struggles to understand her daughter's despair, pleading with Jessie to reconsider her plans. Norman won the Pulitzer Prize for her play, and her dialogue and plot poignantly follow the emotional battle between a mother's desperation to save her child and a daughter's quiet resignation to what she believes is an inevitable end. The topics of mental illness and suicide are ones we've seen covered in numerous films, TV shows, and plays over the past several decades, so Norman's piece may not have the same impact today that it did when it first premiered over 40 years ago. However, it's still quite relevant, and the matter-of-fact way Norman addresses the situations and the characters and Jessie's calm and rational approach to her own death still strike an emotional nerve. The tight, focused script leaves no room for unnecessary moments, forcing the audience to confront the painful reality these characters are facing. These characters are exceptionally well-drawn, and under Jean-Paoul C. Clemente's tender direction the refined performances make the play especially impactful. With a failed marriage, an estranged son, and a lifelong struggle with epilepsy, Jessie has reached the end of her emotional rope; she claims she's been thinking about killing herself on and off for the past 10 years. Rachel Weiss' quiet, calm and methodical demeanor makes it clearly understandable why Jessie has made peace with her decision. She isn't angry or irrational about the events in her life and what's led her to her decision–rather, she is resigned. Weiss' clear portrayal and Norman's script make Jessie a sympathetic figure, not because the audience agrees with her choice, but because we can understand her suffering in a tragically relatable way. Weiss is, appropriately, eerily peaceful in the role with a performance that's practical and refined. Thelma, on the other hand, is a stark contrast to Jessie's subdued nature, and Janis Webb is wonderful as this concerned, talkative and hopeful woman who is unable to truly grasp the depth of Jessie's despair. Webb's Thelma's pleading with and attempt to convince Jessie to stay alive, with the various ideas she suggests to convince Jessie to not go through with her plans, along with the emotional appeals she makes to her, highlight and flesh out their mother and daughter bond. While Thelma is also forced to confront her own inadequacies as a mother and the possibility that her well-meaning efforts may not have been enough to save Jessie from her pain, we clearly grasp from Webb's passionate performance that Thelma's love for Jessie is undeniable. While modern audiences may be more familiar with the topic of mental health than audiences were when the play premiered in 1982, its intimate portrayal of the breakdown of communication between loved ones highlights a timeless struggle–how people often fail to truly understand the pain of those closest to them. The dynamic between the two characters, including Thelma's optimism, denial and disbelief versus Jessie's quiet acceptance of her fate, is fascinating to watch and witness throughout. Order Chaos is presenting a beautiful production of this raw and intimate portrayal of two women grappling with the unspeakable. 'night Mother runs through September 29, 2024, at Order Chaos Theater Company, Herberger Theater Center, 222 East Monroe Street, Phoenix AZ. For tickets and information, please visit www.orderchaostheater.org Directors: Jean-Paoul C. Clemente Cast: |
