By Kyle Osborne
If The Velocity Of Autumn ends up on Broadway (and that is the hope) there is one major tweak that will need to happen before it gets there—more pauses between the uproarious laughter. That’s a great ‘problem’ to have, right? Laughter so loud and sustained that the actors are briefly drowned out when they resume their lines? Things could be worse.
Oscar-winner Estelle Parsons plays 79 year old Alexandra, a woman who’s seemingly fed up with most things in life, and wants nothing more than to die in peace in her beloved Brooklyn Brownstone. She has barricaded herself inside, and surrounded herself with dozens of improvised Molotov cocktails—threatening to blow the place to kingdom come if her grown children don’t leave her alone.
As an unseen son and daughter wait outside, threatening to call the police, Alexandra’s black sheep son, Chris (Stephen Spinella) climbs the tree just outside the window and, with great effort, lets himself inside to talk his estranged mother down. The two haven’t seen each other in fifteen years, and as they tentatively dance around each other, we see that the play will really be about these two eccentric birds of a feather learning to accept, forgive, reconcile and understand.
The 90 minute one act never lags, and effortlessly zigs and zags from laugh-out-loud lines to harsh condemnations, slung from one character to the other with the kind of sharp edge that only family members can get away with. hgh creme
Parsons is a force at 85 years old. Even at that age, she still has to “act” old—Alexandra’s creaky joints have given out, but Parson’s own springy step for the curtain call showed that she still has the energy of someone half her age. Even as she called out for a forgotten line, she did it in character—what fun to watch a veteran in a role she clearly relishes.
Spinella, also a gifted and celebrated actor, has a more naturalistic approach, and so, some of his delicately delivered lines were difficult to hear (an aside: as someone with a bit of hearing loss, I’m usually bummed when the actors aren’t wearing microphones—especially in the Kreeger and Fichlander houses). Also, and surely by design, there is a good bit of over-lapping dialogue, so if one doesn’t catch every single word during these heated moments, there’s no plot lost.
Eric Coble has written, and I hope he won’t mind this word, a very ‘nice’ play. Does that sound like faint praise? It’s not. What I mean is, he’s written two characters who are more than just their descriptive categories (old, gay, man, woman, artist, etc.) they are complex people. And I really liked getting to know them through the gradual, organic reveals.
And I liked the way I felt walking out of the theatre.
Velocity Of Autumn continues at Arena Stage through October 20th. Tickets, videos and info at: http://www.arenastage.org
Photos: Teresa Wood
Who doesnt love her and especially when it’s such a rousing good time!