This Side of Crazy
Reviewed by Iris Mann
Zephyr Theatre
Through March 8
RECOMMENDED
With This Side of Crazy, Del Shores has created a gripping multilevel scenario filled with colorful Southern lingo and humor that emerges naturally from the characters. Beneath the comedy is a meaningful exploration of ambition, professional religiosity, anger, betrayal and family conflict. This production is a superlative piece of work that showcases Shores’s excellence as both playwright and director.
The story centers on former gospel singer-songwriter Ditty Blaylock (Sharon Garrison), a 70-something woman whose three daughters — she still calls them “little stars for Jesus” — were a sensationally successful singing trio as children. Twenty-five years later, Ditty lives with her oldest daughter, Rachel (Bobbie Eakes), who regularly — and loudly — has what Ditty calls “carnal relations with a man in a coma.” It seems that Rachel’s comatose husband Jude was strangled by her sister Abigail (Dale Dickey) in a jealous rage when they were both young women. At the time, Abigail was in love with Jude and had expected to marry him until her sister stole him away. To keep her daughter out of prison, Ditty concocted a tale and had Abigail confined to a mental institution.
Now, the Gospel Television Network wants to produce a 50-year tribute to Ditty and plans to arrange appearances by numerous country and gospel stars. The problem is that the network also wants to feature a reunion of the three sisters, who at this point are totally estranged. Nonetheless, Ditty arranges for Abigail to be released, luring her with an unsigned check for $5000. She has sent a similar check to the youngest sister, Bethany (Rachel Sorsa), although, given that Bethany is to sing gospel, they will have to keep it hidden that she is now an avowed atheist.
When the four finally come together, sparks fly, as old jealousies, resentments, accusations and suppressed rage rise to the surface. Apparently, the daughters felt exploited, trapped and drained as children.
As director, Shores extracts in-depth performances from the ensemble, while keeping the action flowing at just the right pace.
The actors are uniformly splendid. Garrison hits all the right notes as Ditty, transitioning from one feigned emotion to another “on a dime.” Her Ditty embodies elements of Amanda in The Glass Menagerie, televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, and a hint of Naomi Judd, among other influences. She’s also a drama queen of a stage mother, a conveniently religious woman, a “victim” of her daughters’ unappreciation, and a manipulative narcissist. Her humorous moments hit the mark, and when she learns that Bethany is a lesbian as well as an atheist, her reaction is priceless. Yet, she also has a core of resilience, and Garrison conveys that aspect of the character with great subtlety.
Eakes’s entire performance springs from a profound and powerful well of emotion. She is skillful at hurling edgy comedic barbs, born of anger and bitterness, and when Rachel must own the fact that she stole Jude from Abigail, the moment she crafts is stunning. And Dickey is intensely moving when, as Abigail, she finally airs her agony and anger over Rachel’s treachery. The only leavening element among the four women is provided by Bethany, and Sorsa navigates that role with likability and strength.
Adding to the play’s impact and ambiance are Tom Buderwitz’s very fitting set design and Shon Le Blanc’s costuming.
If some of the plot points seem a bit “over the top,” it all somehow works anyway, perhaps because audiences can find aspects of this family’s conflicts and dysfunction eminently relatable.
Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.; through Mar. 8. www.delshores.com. Running time: two hours and 30 minutes with one intermission.
