'Impossible Marriage' quirky and light
By Erica Blocher, Staff Writer
May 9, 2007 | 3:33 p.m.
The Actor’s Movable Theater in Athens will present the play “Impossible Marriage” by Beth Henley at ARTS/West Theater April 20 and 21 at 8 p.m.
Directed by Lonny Fraze, "Impossible Marriage" consists of a simple set, a complex storyline and an array of outlandish characters. It focuses on the strange union between a young woman, Pandora Kingsley (Hayley VanMeter), and her lover twice her age, Edvard Lunt (Michael Wootton).
The Kingsley family is made up of Pandora's older sister, Floral (Robin Barnes); Floral's incompetent husband, Jonesy (Bruce Jones); the mother, Kandall (Pat Berry Fraze); and the confused Reverend Jonathan Laurence (Ken Bowald) who is supposed to marry the couple.
The play features a simple set and lighting. Stone walls and a solitary bench, offset with green ivy, are all that create a background onstage. The actors' costumes are simple and subtle for the occasion -- dresses for the women and suits for the men. All ages of actors make up the cast who channel Beth Henley's easy-to-understand language, which incorporates wit and irony to spice up the story.
In terms of storyline, “Impossible Marriage” was able to twist and turn with outrageous scenarios, and the character’s bursts of appropriate wit are most entertaining. The Kingsley brood makes fun of young, childish, idealistic Pandora, who worships Evard and insists on being wed in front of the ivy in the garden -- clad in a blue dress and fairy wings.
Scenarios turn even more bizarre when one of Lunt’s children from his previous 23-year marriage, Sydney (Dayton Willison), shows up at the wedding ready to destroy. He dryly notes, “I’ve come only to disrupt and annihilate,” at which Pandora’s mother only chuckles, as she and the rest of the family also do not wish the marriage to commence. His threats of suicide further complicate the already-complex wedding.
The marriage is only one of the bizarre relationships in the play. “Impossible Marriage” branches out and highlights the relationships between Floral and the Reverend, and Sydney and Edvard.
Floral admits that she is carrying a child that is not her husband’s, the Reverend is still hopelessly in love with her and Floral suggests that Sydney kill his father on his wedding day. Consequently, irony unfolds when Sydney tries to shoot his father and ends up shooting himself in the foot, which lead to laughter. More irony follows as when Floral suggested this idea, she asked Sydney to fetch her message to feed her ravenous hunger and Sydney comes hobbling back on stage after shooting himself, holding a muffin in his hand. Overall, the play dragged on at points as the storylines became more confusing and complex. However, the banter of dialogue between the various characters and their quirky comments made up for the drowsy moments. “Impossible Marriage” keeps one guessing until the final moments, when everything comes together. The play will also be performed April 20 and 21st as well.