Not many people get to see a play from the read through to opening night, but I had that pleasure with Marlin Perkins Under Glass by Tim Kaldahl. Having been involved with the process - and by that I mean chatting with director Daena Schweiger, editing the actors` journals, talking to the set designer, talking to the stage manager and popping in briefly during rehearsals - I can say that this show has grown tremendously in the last six weeks or so, which was evident when I saw it Saturday night. The characters in Marlin Perkins aren`t particularly likeable.
Taken off of the page, Connie is a neurotic, control freak; Niel is a spineless, indecisive guy who lives in a world of ``could be`s and if only`s``; Ed is a sexist, morally bankrupt man; and Annie is nearly on par with Ed (except for the sexist bit). The male characters get back at their employer not by standing up to him, but by stealing office supplies. I have a difficult time understanding these characters and thus relating to them. And to have a satisfying theatrical experience, I think that`s key. You have to find someone in the show you care about.
Thanks to Schweiger`s brilliance as a director, this show works in ways I didn`t think it could. Part of the reason is that during the transitions, she`s added an effective slide show that offers images of the characters at the office, sitting in a park with big smiles, in Prague, etc. These images show us how these characters interact (without words) and present themselves to the world. Since the play doesn`t show anyone offering much genuine affection - the couple seems to be fighting most of the time - the slide show fills that gap. Another big reason is that Schweiger has found a tremendous group of actors who go beyond the text and make this a story many can relate to. Who doesn`t come out of college, or high school for that matter, expecting to be handed a great job, a great relationship and a life ripped from the storybooks? But when your expectations are that high, life can only disappoint you.
And that`s the case in Marlin Perkins. Niel (Jim Palmer) is a corporate drone who`s engaged to a woman who doesn`t want him to exercise independent though, and yet he gets through life by imagining that he could be a successful writer living in the Czech Republic and cozying up with a supermodel who loves literature and ideas. His fiancee is equally mired in a fantasy. She wants the big wedding, a comfortable life living in West Omaha, and x-number of children. (I imagine she`s planning her pension while she`s picking out suitable names for her children - John and Betty, maybe.)
Their lives come into conflict when Niel`s fantasy has the chance to come true. After two years, Sarka (Abby Gregor) - the beauty with brains - gets in contact with Niel via e-mail. She hints of her feelings for him and that she might be able to get him a job, teaching English. This news throws Niel and Connie`s lives into a tailspin. As the music selected for the show appropriately asks, ``should he stay or should he go?``
To further complicate matters, Ed (Matt Kelehan), Niel`s cubicle partner; and Annie (Sarah Podendorf), Connie`s confidant from IT; are, as Kaldahl explained to me, devils on the main characters` shoulders. The situation goes from bad to the absolute worst case scenario. The ending is hopeful, however, probably not in the way that 97 percent of the audience will want it to be. I have to hand it to Kaldahl, though, he`s true to his characters. No mushy ending for this writer, and for that I`m grateful. I hate a Hollywood ending, especially when it`s contrived. That said, if you go expecting You`ve Got Mail or some other rom-com starring Meg Ryan, forget it. This is more along the lines of how Ingmar Bergman - had he had more sunlight in his life - would have interpreted a 30-year-old man`s moment of angst. It`s heavy, not as heavy as say Woody Allen`s Another Woman (could anything be? Really?), but for most people it will prove a downer.
If this puts you off of the show then let me say that these actors make this one worth checking out. Palmer and Vetter are just so good. They both make otherwise unlikable characters very sympathetic. Niel is still pathetic, but in a sweet and confused way. Connie is still manipulative to a fault, but in a sad ``what- made-her-like-this`` kind of way. The best moments between the actors come from glances, uncomfortable silences and tears. They clearly have worked their backsides off to flesh out these characters. Kelehan doesn`t try to make his character likable, because that`s not who Ed is. What Kelehan does do is to make him so unlikable as to come out the other side. Kelehan is a genius at playing creeps - I loved him in Buried Child - and so he just relishes this character and has fun with it. It`s such a good performance that you enjoy the time Ed is onstage. In fact, even at the read through, this actor indicated that he would be the show`s standout. He understood the character from day one.
Since Podendorf`s character is more of a plot device, she, unfortunately, doesn`t get much of a chance to glow, which is a shame because she was such a plus in I Hate Hamlet. The same probably can be said of Gregor`s character (That she`s a plot device). She does a nice job with the Czech accent, though. Denny Maddux is exceptional as Marlin Perkins and Pomeroy. The voice he comes up with will have you laughing even if you don`t know who Marlin Perkins is. (Love those facial expressions.)
As previously mentioned, I had a really difficult time liking or identifying with any of the characters, so I didn`t feel overly invested in what they were experiencing. (And since I dislike the Wizard of Oz, the references to it had me want to tear my hair out.) Too often I felt clinically detached from the show, much as Marlin Perkins was. I was merely observing human behavior; shaking my head sadly and wondering, ``Why oh why do humans get themselves into the messes that they do?`` Marlin Perkins Under Glass continues through May 9 at the Shelterbelt Theatre. |
