By Annette Hinkle
There comes a time in the life of many a woman when, upon reaching a certain age, she finds herself unexpectedly and utterly alone.
Children grow up, husbands die … and sometimes they just jump ship in favor of a younger model.
That’s the stark reality facing Mrs. Angela Kennedy Lipsky, a middle-aged American living in London. After decades of marriage, she has discovered that her British husband, Max — or “round-head” as she not so lovingly refers to him — has fled the coop and is now playing house with a far younger woman. How she will cope with that unalterable fact is what the rest of us will soon discover.
“My Brilliant Divorce,” Bay Street Theatre’s inaugural offering of the 2012 mainstage season is the American premiere of a one-woman show by Geraldine Aron that explores the “other side of 50” — but one viewed from the not so sunny side of the hill.
In this production, which is helmed by Matt McGrath (a face familiar to Bay Street audiences both as an actor and director), Angela is played by the capable stage and screen actress Polly Draper. Fans of “thirtysomething,” that late ‘80s TV hit about yuppies suffering through the unpredictability of marriage, burgeoning careers and children will remember her as Ellyn. But that was decades ago and those problems are dilemmas from another era. In this play, it’s the other end of the partnering spectrum that gets the attention. In this world, women age, body parts sag and men of a similar age always seem to find someone younger to keep them amused.
The two acts follow Angela through the course of three years — beginning with the initiation of Max’s departure and continuing as the divorce proceedings drag on … and on. The anniversary of the split comes and goes, with Angela still alone, watching life and everything else pass by their London flat as she laments her circumstances.
Meanwhile, the initially amicable settlement Angela agreed to with round head — the one in which she will be well cared for by him — evolves as the harsh realities of real divorce set in. Consequently, the woman who has dedicated her life to caring for her husband and now grown child finds her ex keeping as many assets as possible out of her hands and in the pocketbook of his newest, ever revolving squeeze.
And none of this should come as a surprise to anyone alive today. Which perhaps is why it’s surprising that it does seem to come as a surprise to Angela.
This is where it doesn’t quite work and something rings untrue about the character of Angela. She seems inexplicably lost and out of step with contemporary society — as if she had been transplanted here from a much earlier time. Yes, it makes sense when one considers the fact she has devoted decades to being a wife and mother. But Polly Draper seems far too hip, young, well dressed and seemingly self-assured to authentically pull off the confused damsel in distress we’re witnessing on stage.
It may be that Aron’s Angela is written to be a much older woman — either physically or emotionally. Certainly someone more naïve — perhaps the matronly middle ager in frumpy housecoats with permed hair who regularly travels no further than the corner market. That would fit. And it’s not that women like this don’t exist — sadly many people, of both genders, are at a complete loss and struggle to carry on after a spouse splits. But this Angela seems a contradiction in terms. A strong and funny figure who doesn’t quite square with the shocked and confused divorcee who can’t hold a job and seems to have no clue how to interact with the world. She’s a liberated woman who doesn’t know what to do with that freedom.
But still, Draper holds her own for the duration of the play – not an easy feat given the fast paced script. With no other actors to take over and give her a break, Draper has only Dexter to rely on, a mechanical dog on wheels who zips on and off stage and provides some well placed comic relief. As Angela, Draper also must conjure up a full cast of characters she encounters in the course of her days — and the varying accents they bring with them. From her well meaning but largely absent daughter, to her eavesdropping housekeeper who keeps her apprised of her husband’s goings on, and the doctor who humors her hypochondriacal ailments, Draper jumps in and out of the various characters like a pro. We’re even treated to Angela recreating a shopping trip to buy her first vibrator and the subsequent humiliation she suffers at the hands of the store’s loud-mouthed staff, compounded by the fact she’s forced to lug it home in a fuzzy oversized shopping bag advertising where she’s been.
The action is complimented by Robin West’s revolving set, which is stark, but functional and evokes the sense of place well. Mike Billings lighting design adds the needed dimension to set the tone while Fitz Patton’s well-placed music and sound design takes us in and out of Angela’s humorous recollections smoothly.
Sometimes the humor works, and sometimes it doesn’t. But what really seems to be missing in the script is the cross-cultural references inherent in the fact that Angela is described as an American living in England. We don’t really get a sense of how or why that makes life different for her — and specifically why she needs or even wants to stay in England after her breakup. While she admits it would’ve been easier if she had gotten divorced in the United States, beyond that, the ramifications of Angela’s status as an ex-pat in England aren’t really addressed. She can’t seem to hold a job — but does that have more to do with a lack of skills or legal status? It’s something of a distraction and one is left to wonder if the whole package might have felt more authentic had this truly been a comedy from “across the pond” with Angela, in fact, being British or Irish, like her mother who frequently calls to check in on her.
In the end, this remains a comedy, so we can appreciate the antics Angela shares with the audience, despite the fact there remains a lot of pain and sadness behind it all, especially through Act I. We’d really like to see her take charge of her life, jump on a plane and get back to the U.S. and start over as a woman free of the marital chains that have imprisoned her. But alas, that doesn’t happen. Though life improves greatly for Angela as Act II winds down, unfortunately, it’s not because she’s learned to be content with who she is on her own, but rather, because someone new happens to take notice of her. While we can be glad for Angela when she gets her happy ending, it certainly doesn’t feel as if it’s an ending the rest of us should aspire to in these modern times.
“My Brilliant Divorce” runs Tuesdays through Sundays until June 24 at Bay Street Theatre on Long Wharf in Sag Harbor. Tickets are $56 and $66. To reserve, call 725-9500 or visit the box office.
Top: Polly Draper as Angela in "My Brilliant Divorce." Jerry Lamonica photo.
