Review: Portland Stage's COMPLICATIONS FROM A FALL Struggles with Issues of Aging

Portland Stage's second season offering, Kate Hawley's 2015 play about siblings and their mother confronting dementia, Complications from a Fall, addresses an issue of consequence but while it has its moments of warmth and truth, never quite rises to the challenge of truly articulating something significant about the aging process.

None of this is due to Portland Stage's obvious commitment to the material or to the attractive production they have mounted. The play, itself, however, feels like a a work in progress, despite the fact that it has had a California premiere with other productions scheduled. Hawley's premise - a mother encumbered by dementia, her two children squabbling over the demands of her care, the disparities of the worlds in which they all live - are very real and pressing issues, but Hawley's play offers very little new illumination on the theme that has been explored more vividly on the screen and in the theatre. Her dialogue often rings hollow and static and her situations seem contrived - from the caretaker/son love interest to the satirized academic sister to the past memory of the central character's romance. This is not to say that there are not moments of genuine humor and even wit - the juxtaposing and satirizing of the academic Helen's paper on Ibsen with her real-life situations is stylish and clever, as are some of son teddy's jokes with his mom, but too much of the script is predictable (including the central "revelation." If Complications from a Fall has a message for us, it is that memory is a question of perspective and that perhaps one perspective may not necessarily be more valid than the next.

Paul Mullins directs as fluidly and empathetically as possible, moving in and out of the locations and even incorporating an charming dream sequence. Anita Stewart's set with its mini-turntable is beautifully executed,as always, and contributes to the overall successful flow of the piece. Andrea Hood's costumes and Stephen Jones' lighting complete the picture and help draw the audience into the narrative. Chris Fitze's sound design manages the musical "dream interludes" and other effects skillfully.

The cast does its best with the material, though there are long stretches when one feels they are "delivering lines" and not fully invested in their characters. Maureen Butler makes Elizabeth as sympathetic as possible and wins empathy with her unexpected bursts of clarity. Eva Kaminsky, as the overwhelmed caretaker-academic Helen, does better in the second act when she is asked to satirize some of the pretentions of academe, delivering a funny Kareoke sequence. Erik Savik as son Teddy often seems uncomfortable in the dialogue - not entirely his fault - while at the same time manages moments of naturalness and empathy. Perhaps most convincing is Katie O. Solomon as Lucy, the beloved caretaker. Genuine and empathetic in an empathetic role, she scores in this drama.

Portland Stage is always to be congratulated for its commitment to new, or relatively new, work and its willingness to put its production resources behind plays in which the artistic leadership believes. The issues and concerns raised by Complications from Fall certainly merit that spotlight, though one feels sure the play needs more developmental work to achieve its best. Kudos to Portland Stage for providing that opportunity.

Complications from a Fall runs from Oct. 24-Nov. 12 at Portland Stage , 25 Forst Ave., Portland , ME . www.portlandstage.org 207-774-0465