"MARVIN’S ROOM" at Raven Theatre
BY LUCIA MAURO
Raven Theatre has selected a play as sturdy as its new expanded space in Edgewater. Scott McPherson’s "Marvin’s Room," which debuted 12 years ago at Goodman Theatre, contains within its Job-like tragedies an indefatigable sense of resilience and hope. This is an apt metaphor for the over two-year saga of Raven’s conversion of the old 10,000-square-foot Granville Grocer to a modern arts complex consisting of a 160-seat mainstage and a 60-seat studio theater. Massive fundraising efforts to reach an increased $2 million budget and lots of sweat equity proved successful for this 19-year old troupe dedicated to classic American plays.
Director Michael Menendian’s solid production of "Marvin’s Room" features a synergistic cast at ease with material that injects absurd comedy into the engulfing devastation. Act One, however, maintains a more natural and measured tone than the hurried and emotionally erratic second half. Overall, the experience reminds us of the minuscule distance between laughter and tears – although I’ve always found the bungling Dr. Wally too frighteningly absent-minded to be believed.
Contrary to the title, at the heart of "Marvin’s Room" is Bessie, the middle-aged caregiver to Marvin, her invalid father, and her disabled but spunky Aunt Ruth. When Bessie is diagnosed with leukemia, she must contact her estranged sister Lee, a single mom with two troubled teenage boys, to return home and get tested for a the possibility of a bone-marrow transplant.
Lee, a chain-smoking viper brimming with rage, has been engaged in a chronic sparring match with Hank, her eldest son, committed to a mental institution after setting their house on fire. The younger sibling, Charlie, masks his pain in books.
The sisters’ reunion, however, plants at least the seeds of reconciliation, tempered by McPherson’s refusal to sentimentalize illness and provide a tidy ending. This drama stops short of disease-of-the-week theatrics by re-directing its focus to the neglected Hank and the parenting makeover of his anger-plagued mother.
JoAnn Montemurro approaches the role of Bessie with a refreshing matter-of-fact grace. Neither weepy martyr nor squeaky-clean optimist, she conveys Bessie’s convictions and fears through a balanced acceptance of her lot in life. As her rebellious sister Lee, Liz Fletcher – while a more presentational actress – serves as a stinging yet not irredeemable counterpart. Jeremy Glickstein effectively underplays Hank’s angst – making his character a believably traumatized teen forced to act out in self-loathing silence.
Other fine performances include Esther McCormick’s spitfire, soap opera-addicted Aunt Ruth; Chuck Spencer’s remarkably un-cliched turn as Dr. Wally; and Millicent Hurley-Spencer in a series of offbeat multiple roles. John K. Marquette movingly tackles the disembodied moans and mutterings of the sequestered Marvin.
Menendian and Leif Olsen’s flexible, naturalistic set and Michelle Smietana’s celestial-tinged lighting add to the production’s straightforward beauty.
With a larger audience, the spacious mainstage would not seem so cavernous. I even wondered if "Marvin’s Room" would be more effective in the intimate environs of the studio theater. But Raven Theatre is no doubt basking in the impressive completion of the only state-of-the-art theatre complex in Edgewater. It’s taken a food mart and transformed it into food for the soul.•
"Marvin’s Room" runs through October 13 at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark. Tickets: $20-$24. Call 773-338-2177 or log onto www.raventheatre.com.
