By Kimberly Harper, WPRO Arts and Entertainment Contributor
Trinity Rep’s “Melancholy Play: a Chamber Musical,” a collaborative piece between musician Todd Almond and Brown alumni Sarah Ruhl (author of the play the show is based on), directed by Liesl Tommy, made its debut earlier this month and presented itself as a fun romp through the absurd. Though at times the plot veers off in the most unexpected directions and certain moments may seem somewhat contrived, it is a funny, at times quite touching, and is an interesting piece of theater.
At the start of the show we meet the five main characters as they sit in chairs set up in what appears to be an abandoned ballroom some time after a party has ended. A string orchestra and pianist sit stage right, dressed as though they were hired to play the aforementioned party. The characters are every day people with a melodramatic twist. The tailor Frank (Charlie Thurston) and hair stylist Frances (Rebecca Gibel) have similar stories – for instance, each abandoned a prior life to take the job they have now. The psychiatrist (Joe Wilson Jr.) is from a nondescript European town and operates with an accent that, like most of the things in this play, is over the top. He has some of the funniest lines in the show. Joan (Mia Ellis), Frances’ partner, is a no-nonsense English nurse (again, with the accent) who at first seems like she may be the voice of reason in the show, but that assumption falls apart relatively quickly, for instance, she is just as likely as her fellow characters to hit the floor for an impromptu game of Duck, Duck Goose.
And then there’s Tilly (Rachael Warren), the center of this odd little Illinois universe. If the other characters are melodramatic, Tilly takes the meaning of the word to new heights. She is given to hyperbole and non sequitur, and her bouts of extreme melancholy land her on the psychiatrist’s couch (all at the expense of her employer. Banks, Tilly explains, do not like their employees to be melancholy). And, whether she is in therapy or getting her hair cut or clothes hemmed, her sad, introspective outlook invariably causes whoever she meets to fall in love with her, sometimes with hilarious outcome.
Then Tilly wakes up one day manically happy. Her friends, used to and drawn to their friend in her more depressed state, don’t know what to make of the change and plunge into their own states of melancholy, taking the absurdity of the show to new heights.
The show is incredibly well-cast. The actors all have good timing and are able to play off each other well, which is essential in a show like this. Though the show is not a true musical, instead peppered with short music vignettes, the roles are still vocally demanding and each actor rises to the challenge. The set and costumes are beautiful, the musicians quite talented, and, crazy as the plot is, the audience is immersed from the first line.
The show is an exercise in being able to suspend one’s disbelief and go along for the ride, and it’s easy to be swept up in the farce. If you are looking for a traditional musical, this isn’t it. If you are looking for something unlike anything you’ve probably ever seen before and love to laugh, give “Melancholy Play” a try before it closes on June 28.
“Melancholy Play: a Chamber Musical” runs through June 28 at Trinity Rep., 201 Washington St., Providence. Tickets range from $30 – $71 and may be purchased at www.trinityrep.com or by calling (401) 351-4242.
