Independence
First Unitarian Universalist Complex, 4700 Grover, 744-1495
Through June 19
Running time: 2 hr.
I’ve seen a lot of plays in my quarter century of watching Austin theatre, but this is the first time I recall seeing a production by the Paradox Players. The group has been around for
more than a decade now, mounting its shows on a relatively small, somewhat makeshift proscenium in the Howson Hall Theatre at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin, just off Burnet Road and 45th. If this production of Lee Blessing’s Independence is any indication, and if you are at all inclined to sample the stunningly wide variety of theatrical offerings in the Austin area, you’ll want to give them a look.
Here’s what you can expect. You’ll be greeted at the door by some really nice folks. (The Players have a huge community support system behind them, which you would expect from a theatre operating in a church.) You’ll find an elevated stage but seating on the floor, so if you want a really good look at the show, you’ll need to sit in the front row. You’ll see a serviceable, appropriately dressed living-room set designed by Bob Bethke (I especially appreciated all the photographs on the walls) and a story about the Briggs family. Mother Evelyn (Kathleen Lawson) suffers from emotional problems that seem to stem from her relationship with her absent husband. Four years before, eldest daughter Kess (Shannon Davis), a professor at a university, had to return home to have Evelyn briefly committed to the local mental health facility, and now Kess has returned again to take care of middle daughter Jo (Christina Leidel), who has broken her neck because her mother pushed her. Youngest daughter Sherry (Courtney Outlaw) is a rebel who drinks and carouses for a living and plans on getting out of the house – and away from the possessive Evelyn – the moment she graduates from high school. Jo would like to leave as well, but she’s at loose ends. Pregnant by her boyfriend, she knows that if she marries him, she’s stuck with Evelyn in Independence, Iowa, for the rest of her life.
Blessing’s script effectively mixes comedy and drama, and director Lisa Foster stages the play well, so there are some believable emotional moments as well as some great laughs to be had. Given that the performance is at a church, I was surprised at the sometimes racy language and subject matter, but it’s so nice to know that the good people at this church can be accepting and supportive of more radical points of view. One thing that isn’t radical is the message in Blessing’s play. We all need our independence – we humans seem to function best when we feel like we have at least a little bit of a handle on our lives and world. And Lawson, Davis, Leidel, and Outlaw handle the script with care, utilizing a driving yet controlled tempo to keep the action always moving forward. This is especially true of Lawson. She brings a precise simplicity to the role of Evelyn. She never plays crazy. She trusts Blessing’s script and trusts herself, and we feel like we’re watching a mother lose her family. Because sometimes you have to take your independence, and sometimes you have your independence thrust upon you.
This article appears in June 10 • 2011.