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Regional Reviews: San Francisco Talley's Folly Also see Patrick's review of Head of Passes and Richard's reviews of In a Word and Sister Play
On this night, however, July 4, 1944, Friedman—brilliantly played at the Aurora Theatre Company by Rolf Saxon—is determined to take charge of his future and to let no impediment stand between him and his desire. And what is Friedman seeking on this balmy Missouri night? Love. Specifically, the love of Sally Talley, the spinster daughter of the town's richest family. The previous summer, Friedman had fallen completely for Sally, and now, against all odds, he has come to declare his love and liberate Sally from the stifling grasp of her anti-Semitic family and take her away to St. Louis. Despite all of his life's past disappointments, Friedman is determined to make this work. No detail of his plan escapes his attention. He informs us right from the start that this will take 97 minutes for this romance to play out, and as the play unfolds, we discover the depth of his determination. Theater can let you down, too. Go in expecting a masterpiece and it's hard for any theatrical work—even true masterpieces—to live up to the expectations. So I will attempt to restrain my praise of the Aurora production of Talley's Folly for fear of setting you up for disappointment. Go, as I attempt to do with everything I see, with as few expectations as possible and let this beautiful, touching, challenging, funny work of art transport you to a place where love really can conquer all. Harry's Upstage is a very small (about 50 seats) black box theater in the Dashow Wing of the Aurora Theatre Company, and it's perfect for this intimate two-hander. The set (by Jon Tracy) is lovely, evoking a ramshackle riverside boathouse with just the right amount of romantic realism. Lighting (also by Tracy) and sound design (Chris Houston) complete the bucolic scene. Sally and Matt are an unlikely couple. He's a Jewish immigrant with a mysterious (until the second half of the play) provenance, and 11 years older than Sally, a gentile girl from a prosperous Protestant family. He is smitten (but thoughtfully so) by her, she presents a very chilly exterior—though it's clear from the start that her heart warms in his presence. At one point, in discussing their reading habits (he reads "like lightning" but remembers almost nothing, she reads slowly and almost memorizes the words), he says "Jack Sprat," referring to the poetic couple, one of whom could eat no fat, the other no lean, which made them opposites, but a perfect match. So it is here. Matt and Sally are meant for each other. Fortunately, we have a terrifically skilled pair of actors to bring this yin-yang couple to life. Whenever Saxon's Matt threatens to dominate the stage, Lauren English as Sally finds a way to lift her game and maintain both equilibrium and dynamic tension. So forget about expectations but do make your way to Berkeley to take in the marvelous production that succeeds on virtually every level. Talley's Folly runs through June 7, 2015, at Harry's Upstage at the Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison Street, Berkeley. Shows are Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m., with an additional 2:00 p.m. matinee on Saturday, April 25. Tickets are $35. Tickets and additional information are available at www.auroratheatre.org or by calling 510-843-4822.
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