Melancholy Play |
REVIEW by Willard Manus Sarah Ruhl
is a playwright with a whimsical but charming bent. Her bittersweet comedy,
MELANCHOLY PLAY, produced recently in a West Coast premiere by Echo Theater
Company, was centered around Tilly, a daffy but delicious girl from the
midwest whose melancholic nature, which she discusses openly and cheerfully,
proves irresistible to both men and women alike. If this sounds contradictory,
it is consciously that: Ruhl delights in the unlikely, in turning reality
upside down and having fun with the resulting mess. |
![]() |
Ruhl's theme is transformation, the way all these raffish characters change when Tilly is cured of her melancholy (to be more specific would be to give the play away). Some of the things that happen include a woman turning into an almond, a reunion between siblings who were separated at birth, several goofy songs (backed by an onstage cellist, Joseph Mendoes), and much tongue-in-cheek, silent-movie posturing. All of these tricky ingredients were whipped together in high-style fashion by director Chris Fields, backed by Elizabeth Palmer's extravagant costumes and Michael Roth's sprightly music. (At The Hayworth, 643 Carondolet St. Click on echotheatercompany.com or call 800-413-8669) |