It’s brave for a little theater company to gamble on unveiling a new work in these post-September 11 days, and Alexandria’s doughty Metro Stage should be applauded for its gutsy world premiere launch of Leslie Ayvazian’s short drama “Rosemary and I” at its waterfront playhouse last week. Even more impressive was the decision to bring in famed actress Olympia Dukakis to co-direct the production along with Nancy Robillard.
Unfortunately, Ms. Ayvazian’s sincere but shapeless effort is still not ready for prime time.
“Rosemary and I,” which stars the playwright in the central role of Julia, is an uncomfortable cross between closet drama and a “memory play.” The plot, such as it is, traces Julia’s lonely childhood, which was only sometimes spent with her eccentric singer-mother, Rosemary (Judith Roberts), and her distant, well-meaning, but clueless papa (Sam Groom). Throw in a mysterious third character, Rosemary’s accompanist Elizabeth (Jewell Robinson), who desires far more than friendship with Rosemary, and you have the beginnings of what could have been something really interesting. Is it Julia or Elizabeth, in the end, who is “I”?
But the characters are not really what drive this play. Instead, the main event is writer’s block, a fact that is established right up front and center. As the lights come up, Julia commences a seemingly endless monologue, trying on myriad approaches to grappling with her parents and her past, both of which stubbornly remain in search of their elusive author.
Writer’s block, alas, is the batting slump of the writing life as any poet, playwright, novelist or critic will readily tell you if you’re incautious enough to inquire. (The Coen brothers’ surreal 1991 film “Barton Fink” probably said all that needed to be said about it.) A writer’s personal inscape is actually rather dull and rarely transfers comfortably to the stage.
“Rosemary and I” still has the look and feel of a reader’s theater production, too long to be a one-act and too short to rewardingly occupy an entire evening. It’s a classic example of a play that’s been workshopped to death by well-meaning friends and admirers. Prosy to a fault, it would have worked far better as a short story or as a full-length historical drama.
What we have instead is an evening of frequently moving prose poetry delivered by an exceptional cast of professionals whose efforts are enhanced by John Hodian’s shimmeringly lovely background music (sung by his wife, Beth Williams). At no time does real drama ever happen. Exhausted by postmodern angst, what is left is simply an intellectual exercise. Mix this with a gauzy lesbian undercurrent and Julia’s fashion-forward navel-gazing, and it’s deja vu all over again. The portrait of an artist as a very dull person indeed.
Well-meaning almost to a fault, “Rosemary and I” is not an actively bad play. It is an odd, post-feminist melange of sincere and honest longings involving concepts and ciphers rather than flesh-and-blood human beings. There are (some) funny moments here and (some) moving moments there. But with so many other good theater opportunities currently available in the Washington area, this play is difficult to recommend.
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WHO: Metro Stage
WHAT: “Rosemary and I,” by Leslie Ayvazian
WHEN: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m; Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m. Through May 9
WHERE: 1201 N. Royal St., Alexandria
TICKETS: $32 to $38
TELEPHONE: 1-800/494-8497
MAXIMUM RATING: FOUR STARS
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