Theater Reviews

Jul 3, 2009 - "Woman in Mind" at Reno's Bruka Theatre is one crazy, mixed-up play

By Jack Neal

It’s not quite “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” but it comes close. Alan Ayckbourn’s play, “Woman in Mind,” which opened Thursday night (7/2/09) at Reno’s Bruka Theatre, deals with madness, failures of faith and the disintegration of family.

Susan, the protagonist in Ayckbourn’s world of crazies, is in the throes of a nervous breakdown. The breakdown is brought on by a rather mean bump on the head, when she takes a nasty fall in her lush suburban garden. Somewhat like a post-pubescent Alice in heat, Susan steps through her own looking glass and begins communing with a fantasy family. It becomes obvious why, when Susan’s own family arrives on the scene.

Gerald, her husband, is a smug, sexless vicar embroiled in writing a history of his parish. He’s an artless bore and not much fun. Her sister-in-law is a lousy cook trying to make spiritual contact with her late husband, propelled graveward – perhaps – by eating one of his wife’s meals. Rick, Susan’s son and a product of his obviously dysfunctional parents, is an estranged recluse in cahoots with another estranged recluse. Bill, her doctor, is a twit and about as effective as Michael Jackson’s last encounter with the medical profession. Calling an ambulance is Dr. Bill’s remedy of choice.

The depth of Susan’s crisis becomes even more painful when her imaginary family turns out to be diabolically motivated. Andy, her imaginary and sexually driven husband, is devilishly inclined. Tony, her imaginary son, is more bad seed than charmer, and he’s very charming. Lucy, her imaginary daughter, is just mad about mommy dearest.

The play is a portrait of female isolation. According to the Gospel According Ayckbourn, religion is hopelessly ineffectual at confronting the disaster of mental illness and belonging to a nuclear family doesn’t help. In Susan, he has created one of modern drama’s most compelling female roles. Actor Mary Bennett is brilliant at bringing the many faces of Susan to life. Bennett is a superb actor and the troubled, hostile Susan provides her some of her finest moments in the theater.

Moments made even finer by a consistently strong supporting cast who play magnificently into Susan’s stew of angst and terror. David Richards is solid as Susan’s ineffectual, self-absorbed husband. Tom Plunkett is effective as Susan’s maddeningly daffy doctor. As Susan’s reclusive son who can’t wait to escape, Trent Lott is entirely believable. Sandra Neace plays Muriel, Susan’s sister-in-law, with a comedic vengeance for food, the occult and waitressing that delights.

Much like a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Susan’s imaginary family balloons into something larger than life. Lew Zaumeyer (Andy) is a suave, Faustian husband. Adam Whitney (Tony) is terrific as Susan’s vibrantly realized, appropriately cartoonish son. Jamie Plunkett (Lucy) is remarkable as Susan’s zealously over-the-top daughter.

Designer Lewis Zaumeyer’s garden set is lovely to behold and allows the production to flow. David Simpson’s lighting and sound designs are perfection. Heading this tight-knit collaboration of crew and cast is Dave Anderson via his sensitive direction. He embraces Ayckbourn’s modulations of words and phrases and molds them with the talents of a devoted cast into an accumulative theatrical experience that’s really quite touching.

“Woman in Mind” can be seen at the Bruka Theatre, 99 North Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada, July 2 (the performance reviewed), 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 (2009) at 8 p.m. and July 12 (2009) at 2 p.m. For information call 775-323-3221.