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Victorian Players stage local actor’s writing effort about breast cancer
By Eric McCrea
Youngstown
On the cusp of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, The Victorian Players present the story of a family coping with a pending diagnosis. Written by local actor and director C. Richard Haldi, “Walk Abreast” takes a realistic look at how life doesn’t stop in the wake of frightening and complicated developments.
Haldi plays Bud, a man forced to entertain his wife’s poker buddies in the midst of moving into a new condo. When Elizabeth (Linda McGrath) finally gets home, shes frets over the imminent arrival of their daughter Patchouli (Brandi Hughes). In a decorating whirlwind, she and her gambling co-workers make an attempt to get the place presentable. Patchouli enters with boyfriend Providence (Auggie Heschmeyer) in tow, while Linda keeps busy, avoiding the topic of her health.
Once it comes to light that Linda may have cancer, friends and family rally around her and offer her support. Bud even does some research on nonprofit support that’s available, such as Glow Girls. All the while, they continue to juggle their ongoing issues of student debt and unemployment.
Opening night was lightly attended, and energy was low. Many of the actors had trouble with dropped or flubbed lines, which prevented the dialogue from establishing a steady tempo. A few witty laugh lines were lost because of timing, and differences in acting styles added an odd dissonance to the show.
Gerri Jenkins, as recently laid off Tara, and Haldi both project of lot of stage experience, and both exude a lot of character. They have strong presence and handled their recoveries with ease. Jenkins is sassy to Haldi’s grumpy.
Anita Weinstock as newly unemployed Irene and Karen Gaglioni as upstart freelancer Beverly share a lack of confidence on stage. They didn’t seem entirely committed with their gestures and fell short of being convincing with their “cheat outs.”
McGrath and Heschmeyer both have an aptitude for realistic conversational acting. For Heschmeyer, the brief inclusion of his character restricts any development. McGrath has some intense emotional moments, which add a sense of subtext to her role. She puts on a brave face while struggling inside.
Hughes was the most consistent with her lines, and she carries some big sections of the script, but her delivery is like recitation. She tends to direct her lines to the walls, instead of to the actors with whom she shares the stage.
A rough-looking set was no help to the evening, and the lighting cues missed the mark.
Overall, Haldi’s script has some charm to it. It has the feel of “Steel Magnolias” with an ample addition of Thornton Wilder and an ’80s sitcom flair. He includes a lot of mundane moments and conversations to create a sense of realism — to show that breast cancer can affect all women. But somewhere in the kaleidoscope of banality, the show’s main theme gets lost in the shuffle.
“Walk Abreast” runs today and next Sunday at 2 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. For reservations, call 330-746-5455.