Review: THE GETAWAY DRIVER at Trinity Repertory Company

Trinity Repertory Company kicks off the new theater season with the world premiere of “The Getaway Driver,” a compelling, poignant true crime drama told by two women who share a tragic connection, written by playwright-in-residence Deborah Salem Smith and company member Charlie Thurston, and directed by outgoing Artistic Director Curt Columbus.

Rebecca Gibel plays Katherine Ann Power, a protestor of the Vietnam War who drives the getaway car after a bank robbery goes horribly wrong in Boston on September 23, 1970. When the stage lights turn on, the audience is introduced to her in 1993 as wife and mother, Alice, who is about to turn herself in after spending the last 23 years on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.

Rachael Warren plays Clare Schroeder, the daughter of officer Walter Schroeder, who had been shot during the robbery perpetrated by Katherine and four other accomplices. The oldest of nine children, Clare talks about that fateful day from her point of view, when her uncle arrived at school to take her to the hospital to see her father, who would later die from his injuries.

Katherine recalls the details of her life and the timeline leading up to her becoming a fugitive, and Clare joins the narrative on the day of the unfortunate incident that changes both their lives forever. The testimonial, docudrama style of the script is equally informative and captivating, while the pointed, immersive delivery from both actresses provides an illustrative portrait of their individual personalities and sheds light on how this event affected them, principally and emotionally.

The stark, spartan stage is mostly comprised of metal wired fencing, reminiscent of a prison or inner-city schoolyard, displaying a random assortment of items, including a pay phone, empty cans, and shotguns. Whenever Katherine and Clare appear in front of the variegated clutter, their words demand—and garner—the audience’s attention, concern, and sympathy. The two women address each other only during Katherine’s parole hearing, and the result is sobering and unexpected.

Gibel’s performance as Katherine is pleasant, poised, and electrifying. Her understandably nervous disposition, at the very beginning when she reveals her checkered past, seamlessly evolves into a straightforward, even lawyerly and somewhat stoic, defense of her actions, as though she were a quintessential victim of circumstance. Katherine didn’t pull the trigger and has since behaved (mostly) as an upstanding citizen, but whether that ensures redemption or vindication is not altogether certain.

If Katherine is the head of this gripping story, Clare is undoubtedly the heart, and Warren’s portrayal is sincere, affecting, and extraordinary. Complete with a spot-on Boston accent, Warren plays Clare as tenacious and outspoken, rather than tragic and enraged, and her candor is crisp, colorful, and even occasionally funny.

Trinty Rep’s “The Getaway Driver” is a well-written, engrossing, artfully directed work of theater, featuring two stage veterans at their absolute best.

“The Getaway Driver” runs through October 4th at Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington Street in Providence. For tickets and information, call 401-521-1100 or visit www.trinityrep.com.

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