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The Effect of
Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds by Poway Performing Arts Company  Tillie is the black sheep in a family of three that has
mastered the art of hurting each other with stinging words – a geeky loner both
at school and at home. But she has finally been recognized for something, with
her science project studying the effects of gamma rays on man-in-the-moon
marigolds getting nominated for a prestigious award. Will it win her any love
or respect at home, or will it only give her inner satisfaction and small
comfort learning that sometimes mutations in nature can be a good thing?
The strength of Paul Zindel’s play is in its beautifully written characters, and Director Kate Hewitt brought together three terrific actresses who do a most impressive job of bringing those characters alive on the small, intimate stage of Poway Performing Arts Company that, thanks to Set Designer Joel Colbourn, is a squalid, trashy home that you feel immediately belongs to a dysfunctional family. Jennifer Jonassen makes her local debut as the head of that dysfunctional family, and she is absolutely dynamite as the shockingly selfish and verbally abusive mother (Beatrice) who tries to bring Tillie down at every opportunity – her performance so convincing you can feel the audience loathing her with the same passion that she loathes her daughter. But perhaps her best scenes are in the second act when her rough and insensitive exterior is shaken by the ghosts of her unhappy past. Her two daughters are played by a couple of great young talents. Allison Finn is the sweet, humble, loving but lonely young Tillie who seems to be happy for the first time in her life upon learning of her nomination. This just makes it all the more heartbreaking when her mother quickly tries to squash that happiness and bring Tillie back down. Tillie generally gets little help from older sister Ruth, a vain and selfish girl who is popular at school and therefore popular with mom too. Blair Hollingsworth is magnificent in the role, the obnoxious high school girl who loves to torment her sister but displays some sibling love when Tillie gets her newfound popularity, throwing the hatred from their mother right back at her with a skill and cruelty that shows she learned well from the master. Blair also does a pretty mean seizure – on the day I went, actually losing one of her shoes during her realistic convulsions. Beth Mercurio is Nanny, the silent and somewhat senile elderly lady boarding with the family that Beatrice takes care of purely for the weekly check. Nanny tragically smiles obliviously as Beatrice cuts her with insults like calling her “the $50 a week corpse” – though you get the impression she senses the cruelty at some level. Lindsey O’Connor is a hoot as Janice, a humorously macabre young girl who doesn’t seem to realize how awful her nominated science project is – a description of ways to skin a cat. A savageness that Janice doesn’t get, unlike Beatrice who knows all too well how her savageness can hurt.Performs through March 27, 2005.
~ Cast ~
Tillie: Allison Finn Beatrice: Jennifer Jonassen Ruth: Blair Hollingsworth Janice: Lindsey O'Connor Nanny: Beth Mercurio Director: Kate Hewitt Set Designer: Joel Colbourn Sound Designer: Lou Alliano Lighting Designer: Peter McGuinness Costume Designer: Arlene Darden |