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The central metaphor for Mary Page Marlowe is a quilt, the sewn-together collection of patches of cloth, which may, or may not, have a pattern or a theme. To achieve the quilt effect in her play, writer Tracy Letts gives us a series of scenes in the life of her central character. This is done via the ubiquitous and overused technique of presenting material in a non-linear fashion. The audience is then left with the task of taking what are apparently random instances and piecing them together into a whole which will provide some insight into the titular character. This is no easy task since with three husbands plus affairs Mary Page has led a rather complicated life, not to mention issues with addiction, motherhood, and prison. Indeed, it would be no surprise if audience members, like Mary Page herself, had difficulty finding the thread and end up being challenged to understand how it all fits together. Disappointment, dissatisfaction and despair all play their parts, but surely author Letts is aiming at more than creating a slice-of-life portrait of a woman trapped by rural America. Five actors play Mary Page at various stages of her life and they all perform their snippets admirably although the majority of the publicity for the show has been focussed on the work of Susan Sarandon (MPM ages 59, 63 and 69) and Andrea Riseborough (MPM ages 40, 44 and 50). While both do a fine job, Rosy McEwen (MPM ages 27 and 36), Eleanor Worthington-Cox (MPM age 19) and Aleisha Weir (MPM age 12) also manage to skillfully evoke the character. In fact, it is easy to identify with both the young Mary Page whose fate may be pre-determined and read through Tarot Cards and with the elderly woman who cannot understand how television in "real time" can be replayed. Perhaps, the theme to her journey that we were looking for might be hinted at in those episodes, but unfortunately it is largely lost in the patchwork of other vignettes that comprise the majority of the play.
Rated: ★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Manuel Harlan
When, Where, Getting there:
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