By Ruth RossI recently read Ann Patchett’s latest novel, Tom Lake, in which
Thornton Wilder’s iconic American play, Our Town, affects plot,
character and personal relationships, so this experience informed my
response to Vivid Stage’s New Jersey Premiere production of Kodachrome,
by Adam Szymkowicz, running through April 28 at the Oakes Center in Summit.
Set in the
small town of Colchester (a stand-in for Wilder’s Grover’s Corners), where
everyone knows everyone else and the slow pace allows the pursuit of life to
take up as much space as it needs,
Kodachrome features a Stage Manager
cum
Tour Guide in Suzanne (Harriett Trangucci, left), the town photographer, who chronicles her neighbors’
lives “on film” to reveal glimpses of romance in all stages of development. As
the seasons pass, Szymkowicz, through Suzanne, examines love, nostalgia and
learning to say goodbye.
Director
Betsy True’s taut direction makes the 90 minutes we spend in Colchester fly by,
a feat achieved by having four actors (minus Suzanne, the tour guide/photog)
play a total of 15 characters, transformed through a costume change, the
addition of a prop, and body language and voice! Most of the time, the switch
in character works very well, although several personages bordered more on caricature
than character, which was a bit unnerving.
Over the
course of 18 “snapshots,” we witness the end of a marriage; an engagement teetering
on the edge of acceptance and terror; a sad hardware store owner grieving the
loss of his wife but not quite ready for a new romance with the town librarian;
the unrequited love of a nerdy perfume maker for a young waitress who has her
eye on an awkward policeman; and a longtime gravedigger who brings flowers and
talks to the shade of a dead woman. (Right, Sarah Cuneo and Jason Szamreta)
Standout
performances are rendered by Harriett Trangucci as Suzanne, Jason Szamreta as
the earnest Gravedigger; Harry Patrick Christian as Charlie, the hardware store
owner; JF Seary in multiple roles as the novelist/librarian/florist, and Sarah
Cuneo as the Young Woman (Florence) and Waitress. All bring pathos and
sensitivity to their roles—especially Trangucci as Suzanne and Christian as
Charlie. These two veteran actors form the couple at the center of these
concentric circles of romance: Christian’s grief at losing his wife Suzanne is
palpable and convincing while Trangucci conveys the hesitation to “let go” and
join the other graveyard shades is heartrending. Seary (left) shines in every role she
plays; she’s convincing, natural and very likeable, while Cuneo is youthful
femininity personified—with all its doubts, dreams and flirtation.
Where the
production fails is in the portrayal of the Perfume Maker (Christian, right) and the
Policeman (Szamreta). The overt goofiness of these two characters makes them unbelievable
and silly. Wearing an inane grin and owl-eyed spectacles, Christian has a
difficult job infusing his character with sympathy. And while Szamreta’s cop’s
awkward “courtship” of the Waitress is droll, it’s a bit over the top to feel
real. He does better with the snapshot where Robert, the would-be groom comes
to the library seeking books on “how to be.” Now,
that was funny!
Despite the
sparely decorated stage (a park bench, a diner counter, a platform with a small
stool) designed by Stephanie Gallegos, the audience always knows where they
are, thanks to the projections of photos taken by Betsy True and Zachary Zawila
and technically managed by Bryan Clarendon: lakeside trees, the Village Green,
the Hardware Shop sign, to name a few. Zach Pizza’s lighting and Jeff Knapp’s
sound set the atmosphere without being intrusive. Both help the audience orient
themselves but are not obvious—not noticing either is a plus.
While the
portrayal of various characters in Vivid Stage’s Kodachrome is uneven
and sometimes unconvincing, playwright Szymkowicz offers the perfect answer to
Emily Webb’s soliloquy at the end of the Our Town: “Oh, earth, you’re
too wonderful for anybody to realize you.”
Fortunately for the folks of
Colchester, shutterbug Suzanne manages to document the wonderful things about
life in a small town so that we leave the theater with a feeling that all will
be well with the world—well, on a micro level, at least.
Kodachrome will be performed at the Oakes Center, 120 Morris Ave.,
Summit, through April 28. For tickets and information, visit www.vividstage.org online or call the
box office at 908.514.9654.
