BWW Reviews: BILL W AND DR. BOB Visit Open Stage of Harrisburg

Sometimes the most profound statements are the smallest and the most quiet. The same is very often true of theatre. Huge, loud musicals can be entertaining, but often say very little, while the small-cast, small-set play that's put on in a 99-seat house on Off-Broadway or LA has the heart, the guts, and the story.

BILL W. AND DR. BOB, Samuel Shem (Stephen Bergman) and Janet Surrey's very small, mostly quiet, 2007 exploration of the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, is one of those pieces. Most Americans whose lives have not been touched by alcohol abuse or by twelve-step programs are unaware, or almost so, of the story that's led to all of those "Friend of Bill W" bumper stickers on other people's cars. And that's unfortunate, as it is one of those true stories that comes out of nowhere and packs a surprising punch. It's no surprise that a psychiatrist, like Bergman, would recognize it for the drama that it is and seek to turn it into a staged drama that is, equally unsurprisingly, a nice piece of psychodrama.

At Open Stage of Harrisburg, a setting almost uniquely perfect for the show, a small ensemble tells the story of stockbroker William Wilson (Kevin Strawser), later even better known as "Bill W," and his wife Lois (Kelli Kauterman), and of Ohio surgeon Bill Smith (Jeff Wasileski) and his wife Anne (Karen Ruch). All other parts are played by the "man," David Ramon Zayas, and "woman" (Terri Mastrobuono).

One of the most interesting parts of the show is the discussion of the Oxford Group religious movement that influenced Alcoholics Anonymous and all of the other main twelve-step programs. The controversial religious group (which also separately generated the international group Moral Re-Armament) gave Bill W the form of the small group and of sharing with the group, as well as of the first of the twelve steps, involving recognition of a higher power that controls our lives. Though there's little time spent directly on the Oxford Group's principles and practices, Bill W comes to it through a friend, and its influence is visible as Bill and Dr. Bob practice, through trial and error, developing the steps that make A.A. work.

Strawser's Bill W is a man powerfully driven, in contrast to Wasileski's Dr. Bob, a man who'd like nothing better than to relax with another cold one. The opposing personalities are writ large on the OSH stage, as are the personalities of Kauterman's Lois and Ruch's Anne. The energy and immediacy of the performances can leave one wondering why Lois isn't just slapping Bill in the face, or why Anne doesn't just dump something on her own difficult husband. Although the characters are drawn clearly in the script, it's these performances that develop them, strongly. These are compellingly real people, and we've all known someone like each of them. Ruch is peculiarly compelling as Anne, and when she and Kauterman's Lois meet, Anne's own apparently quiet but strong personality becomes particularly forceful.

The sets are nicely done, and Don Alsedek's direction is invisible but firm, keeping four strong characters played by four strong performers within bounds while allowing for full expression of their individual contributions... both to the show and to the organization they founded. It's not a ground-breaking show, but it's a compelling one, and it thrives in the small space of Open Stage; it easily would be lost in a to-large space.

At Open Stage of Harrisburg through December 14, and a relief from the over-cheeriness of most of the holiday theatre and performance events in the area. Ruch's performance as Anne Smith is worth seeing just for itself. For tickets and information, call 717-232-6736 or visit www.openstagehbg.com.