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The Fritz Theater may have left their best week of new plays for last. It begins with The Definition of It, which succeeds in proving that "It" defies any easy definition. A husband and wife are not doing It. At least, not with each other. The wife is doing It with her daughter's boyfriend. The husband is doing It with a good friend named Peter. And the daughter isn't doing It with anyone. And if things weren't higgledy-piggledy enough, the wife is soon pregnant with her daughter's seventeen-year-old boyfriend's baby. The plot is at least partially inspired by the well-publicized story of Mary Kay Letourneau, the teacher from Washington State whose affair with a student led to not one pregnancy, but two. Of course, Linda Sunshine's The Definition of It contains several added wrinkles. Instead of a student, this particular version of Mrs. Robinson is carrying on with her daughter's boyfriend. And part of her motivation to seduce the boy is a loveless marriage. She suspects that her husband is having an affair, but doesn't realize it is with a man. It is a nicely orchestrated plot, my only wish being that she had explored the relationship between the mother and daughter after It hits the fan. The mother and daughter share scarcely any dialogue at all. Actress Linda Castro takes center stage as the wife, Sharon, turning in an exceptional performance as the elder seductress training her young lover and later having to awkwardly deal with him following the birth of their baby. She also has a great scene arguing with husband Regis (Doug Waldo) where they make each other about as angry and as hurt as only long-time spouses can manage. Wrapping up the 2001 Fritz Blitz is Ruff Yeager's Losing Mother, a tale combining brilliant comedy with appalling, stomach-wrenching scenes of self-mortification. Julie Jacobs, who directs the show along with Mike Kelly, also stars in it as Louellen Dinwiddle. It is clear from the beginning that there is something a little off with the young woman living alone with her cat (Jeffrey Jones), but at first it seems pretty harmless. She talks to her cat a lot, much of which is done in an attempt to teach him how to read. She also talks to herself, her flowers, and indirectly with her dead mother. And the things she says to these various entities makes it quite clear that she sees life and the things around her a little differently than most. All of this leads to much uproarious laughter, thanks equally to the script and the outstanding performances of Julie Jacobs and Jeffrey Jones (what's with all the J's, anyway?). Jeffrey makes for a great cat with his feline mannerisms, and always gets a good laugh when Louellen says something ridiculous to him and he responds with his only, but oft repeated, line: "For Christ's sake." Julie is sensational in her depiction of a lonely, troubled girl who has a sharp sense of humor and a vague sense of the depth of her emotional problems. We are led to realize just how troubled she really is only gradually, although the burns on her thighs offer a telling glimpse from the start. Her masochism involves the use of heat, razors, and the eating of cold Spam -- the latter of which she actually does. And let's face it, any actress who can eat cold Spam with a smile on her face deserves our deepest admiration. For more information on the Blitz. Rob Hopper ~ Cast of The Definition of It ~
Sharon: Linda Castro Regis: Doug Waldo Brittany: Jenny Winningham Jeremy: Dan Gibbs Playwright: Linda Sunshine Director: Katie Rodda Stage Manager: Crystal Watts ~ Cast of Losing Mother ~
Louellen Dinwiddle: Julie Jacobs Roger, the Cat: Jeffrey Jones Playwright: Ruff Yeager Director: Julie Jacobs and Mike Kelly |
