BWW Reviews: Stray Dog Theatre Presents Funny and Touching SHIRLEY VALENTINE Through 5/14

Performing a one person show would seem to be a rather daunting task to me. After all, if you blank out or skip a part, there's no one around to guide you back to your place. That's what makes Teresa Doggett's work as Shirley Valentine in Stray Dog Theatre's Studio Workshop Production so amazing. Willy Russell's clever and amusing script is given a terrific workout by this exceptionally talented actress, producing a very funny and touching show that's certainly deserving of your attention.

Shirley has lost her zest for life. She feels trapped in a marriage that lost its spark a long time ago, and she feels like she's just spinning her wheels. She's been reduced to conversing with the walls, because they don't interrupt, belittle, or change the subject on her. More than anything, Shirley has lost her sense of self, and when her friend Jane offers to take her along on a trip to Greece, she wonders if this is the opportunity for change that's she's been hoping would come. By the end of the first act she's mustered up the courage to head to the fabled island without giving her husband any kind of notice (she knows that he'll only talk her out of the notion if she does). Once there, she begins to loosen up, even hooking up with a local for a brief tumble. And, even though she receives a letter from her husband telling her he's on his way to take her back, you know that she's finally gained the confidence she needs to stand up to him, and express her true feelings.

Teresa Doggett completely inhabits the role, deftly crafting believable accents, not just for Shirley, but also for all the people she encounters. Doggett is compelling and engaging throughout, and if she skipped or re-arranged any of Russell's text, you certainly couldn't tell; it all flowed in effortless fashion. Doggett's fully vested performance is simply delightful. Whether she's making us laugh hysterically at her "discovery" of a particular part of the female anatomy, or causing tears to well up while seeing her experience her sense of joy over feeling reborn by her journey, it's a bravura display.

Edward Coffield's direction is very well done, as he gently guides Doggett through the character's emotional ups and downs. Despite the fact that the lack of interaction inherent in the material would seem to lend itself to a static presentation, neither allows that to happen. Coffield keeps Doggett moving enough to maintain our interest. Besides, what she has to say is engaging enough on its own. L.D. Lawson contributes a set design that neatly conjures up Shirley's kitchen for the first act, and a Greek island for the second. Tyler Duenow's lighting scheme is fairly straightforward for the most part, but manages to make the most of the dramatic moments that present themselves.

Stray Dog Theatre's thoroughly engaging production of Shirley Valentine continues through May 15, 2010 at the Tower Grove Abbey.

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