The other night, I went to Actor’s and saw Elemeno Pea. It’s on the slate of the Humana Festival of New American Plays and runs through April 3.
The setting is a minimalist guesthouse on Martha’s Vineyard and as a frequenter to the Vineyard, I was delighted with Michael B. Raiford’s set design and how right everything felt right down to the Nantucket Reds and the Black Dog gift basket sent by the wealthy estates owners. The backdrop of a beautiful sky off the back balcony made me rush home to double-check my pictures to confirm my memories.
The set design and costuming weren’t the only things that were right.
The dialogue was as rich and elegant as the surroundings and the economy allowed the jokes and humor to flow without effort. I imaged the playwright, Molly Smith Metzler, making last-minute adjustments during rehearsals in the last few weeks before opening night to ensure not only the best delivery but the best points of access for the audience. The lines were biting and tough; vulgar and transparent and true. So true, that I saw people in the audience hang their heads and react with shock as if they were watching their own family’s secrets revealed in front of company.
Two sisters, Simone (Kimberly Parker Green) and Devon (Cassie Beck) meet up at Simone’s employer’s estate on the Vineyard for a sisterly bonding when rich, needy Michaela (Sara Surrey) stomps in unexpectedly after a humdinger of a public marital spat. In front of the sisters who were already finding their own way into a tiff, Micheala makes it all about her all the while revealing the old baggage outside of their suitcases the sisters seemed to carry with them all the way to the Vineyard. What makes Elemeno Pea remarkable is that these people – the rich estate owner’s wife, the yardman, Jos-B aptly not named Jose’ because that’s the name of the neighbor’s yardman, the sisters and Simone’s boyfriend — are my people.
And your people.
I’m not wearying Lily Pulitzer and my friends aren’t wearing Nantucket Reds (although I do own my fair share of Black Dog attire) but we’re all making our way in this life the very best we can with lots of love, lots of nutty people around us and a few escape routes we’ve set up for ourselves until it’s safe to face what’s really, really in front of us.
One needn’t be brave for Elemeno Pea – it’s not tough to watch; it’s fun to watch. One mustn’t even have an eye for all things MVY to enjoy the shingles and oval windows and the decadence. Come as you are; the others have.
Here’s a great interview with the playwright by my friend Erin Keane.
