[NEohioPAL]Berko review: TALLEY'S FOLLY (Ensemble)

[Roy Berko]

‘TALLEY’S FOLLY’ GETS GOOD PERFORMANCE AT ENSEMBLE

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

The lights in the theatre are at full level.  A male
wanders onto the stage, looks around at what appears
to be a fragmented old boat house, turns to the
audience and tells us that the play we are about to
see runs for ninety-seven minutes with no
intermission.  He relates that the story will unfold
as a waltz, a valentine. “If all goes well,” he says,
“the play will end with a romance.”

Thus, the tone is set for Ensemble Theatre’s
production of  ‘TALLEY’S FOLLY,’ Lanford Wilson’s
two-person character study of one evening in the
courtship of two unlikely lovers, Sally Talley and
Matt Friedman. 

First produced in 1979, the Broadway production, which
starred Judd Hersch, won the Pulitzer Prize, the New
York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play, and
the Brandeis University Creative Arts Award.  It was
well received by critics and audiences and is
considered one of Wilson’s most hopeful and affirming
plays.  

Wilson is noted for his Talley Family series.  The
first play, FIFTH OF JULY,’ takes place in 1977 and
examines the changing mood of the country regarding
war and capitalism.   The second script, ‘TALLEY’S
FOLLY’ was written by Wilson as an afterthought.  The
story goes that when the actress playing Sally in the
original production of ‘FIFTH OF JULY’ asked Wilson
for help in understanding her character.  He wrote
‘TALLEY’S FOLLY’ to show how Sally and her husband
Matt became a couple in 1944.  Two years later Wilson
added a third episode to the story, ‘TALLEY & SON.’

‘TALLEY’S FOLLY’ is a character, rather than a
plot-driven play.  It is a conversation, not an action
saga. 

Matt is a Jewish accountant. He is an immigrant whose
early life consisted of changing countries, losing
family members, and horrific emotional episodes from
which he needs to protect himself.  The experiences
are so painful that when he does reveal them it is in
allusions rather than directly relating the truth.  

Sally is white, Methodist, wealthy, and reasonably
attractive, but does not fit in with her family or
community because she does not embrace the capitalism
that has secured her family’s fortune. She has been
fired as a Sunday school teacher for encouraging her
students to think positively about labor unions.
Perhaps most scandalous to her family, Sally is still
unmarried at thirty-one.

As the play unfolds the duo reveal the painful secrets
of their lives.  Matt’s alienation and Sally’s desire
to retain family ties are logically tied to Wilson
himself.  Born in Lebanon, Missouri, the town in which
he set the Tally series, Wilson’s had few real roots. 
His parents divorced when he was five years old, and
although he has described his youth as a happy time,
he never had what he created for the Talley family: a
permanent home with a stable extended family.   Wilson
is noted as never having really “fit in.”

The Ensemble production, under the direction of Lucia
Colombi, is nicely paced.  Thought talky, it maintains
attention.  Elizabeth Ann Townsend is excellent as
Sally.  She clearly creates a character caught with a
secret she is compelled to hide. The character’s
standoffishness, yet vulnerability are clearly
developed.   

Miller has more difficulty with his role.  Forced to
use an accent which comes and goes, he often gives the
impression of still getting used to the lines and the
characterization.  His over-articulation and surface
level awkwardness make the character unreal and wooden
at times.  If he drops the forced “sound” the
character should grow as he becomes more comfortable
with the lines.   

A question arises for both the director and Miller. 
Was Miller’s wearing a wedding band an oversight?  As
the play developed the question arouse as to whether
his “secret” was that he was really married or had a
wife who died.  Since it was neither, the ring was a
major distraction.  While on the subject of
distractions, why were fake cigarettes used?  If the
actors were uncomfortable smoking, then drop the
charade.  There was no dramatic reason for the smoking
and it added a dimension of unreality to a real
situation.

Ron Newell’s shabby boat house set was excellent.  On
the other hand the lighting was distracting.  The
stage was much too dark.  And the inconsistent band
sound from across the lake often created confusion.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  ‘TALLEY’S FOLLY’ is an interesting
play which gets a nice production at Ensemble, greatly
due to Elizabeth Ann Townsend’s fine performance.  It
is a production worth seeing.

‘TALLEY’S FOLLY’ continues at Ensemble Theatre,
located in the classic Brooks Theatre in the Cleveland
Play House complex through June 12.  For ticket
information call 216-321-2930.

Added note:  Ensemble has announced its ambitious
2005-2006 season.  Productions will include Nilo
Cruz’s Pulitzer Prize winning ‘ANNA IN THE TROPICS,’
William Inge’s American classic ‘COME BACK LITTLE
SHEBA,’ Neil LaBute’s poignant comedy ‘FAT PIG,’
William Luce’s comic drama ‘BRAVO CARUSO!,’ Sandra
Seaton’s ‘SALLY HEMINGS,’ and Athol Fugard’s ‘SORROWS
AND REJOICINGS


Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.


		
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