Review: A FEMININE ENDING - An Incredible Showcase for the Talented Pilar Holland
A FEMININE ENDING/by Sarah Treem/directed by Tyler Seiple/Stuart Rogers' Studios/thru December 2, 2017
The SRS Production Wing debuts its inaugural production with the fearless choice of playwright Sarah Treem's a feminine ending. Treem seamlessly and generously weaves music terminology into her descriptive expositions out of the mouth of her main character Amanda. Amanda's an oboist whom everyone, just everyone, in her hometown (she's since left) predicts greatness for.
Pilar Holland IS Amanda, effortlessly tackling the lengthy accounts of how she got to her present situation -forsaking her classical music roots, writing commercial jingles and marrying a future rock star. The charismatic Holland imbues her charm and passion into Amanda, inviting the audience to accompany her on her bumpy road of life.
She first encounters Jack, a singer, at an open mike and the fireworks begin. Micah Parker's Jack initially seduces Amanda with his sexy vocals and his captivating allure. Parker and Holland have red-hot chemistry together as Jack and Amanda flirt and argue and love and fight and fall back into each others' arms. Would not mind if this play were just a two-hander with these two battling it out. Tyler Seiple smartly directs Parker's compelling portrayal of Jack as sympathetic, very likeable, with little-to-no business savvy; and not as a total selfish a**hole as the written dialogue could easily be interpreted. I also applaud Seiple for not making a feminine ending a total male-bashing experience (i.e. 1993 film The Joy Luck Club). The three male characters in this play may have their flaws, but they're not complete a**holes. And the only other female character, Amanda's mom Kim's a horrid, mess of negativity. Deborah Kleinman so convinces as the bitchy Kim that empathy for the very late reveal of Kim's life choices come hard, if at all.
Kevin Fry-Bowers enters late in the play as David (Amanda's father and Kim's husband) after being much talked about. Fry-Bowers effortlessly brings a calm, rational take on David's situation and his comfortable understanding of his wife of 30 years. David's father-daughter talk could not be more levelheaded, while enthusiastic and intelligent. Nice!
Brandon Irons limns Billy, the high school sweetheart Amanda left behind ten years ago. Possibly with the span of ten years, the chemistry's non-existent between Amanda and Billy. But Irons truly intrigues with Billy's riff on his studies of linguistics and women's issues.
The bare black stage with a few black cubes and a folding chair make for uncomplicated set and clear-cut locale changes.
Holland's 'harmony' monologue's the perfect example of musical terminology used to maximum dramatic effect. Amanda reminisces, in her early childhood, hearing her parents duetting, in question/response vocalizing, and ending in harmonizing. In reality, Amanda's parents are yelling at each other in a volatile argument. Great scene!
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