Anatomy of Gray
Reviewed by Deborah Klugman
Open Fist Theatre Company at Atwater Village Theatre
Through January 15
First produced with the title Gray’s Anatomy at New York’s Circle Rep Theatre in 1994, Jim Leonard’s family-oriented coming-of-age fable strives for the unvarnished poignancy of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town as it recounts the story of a fatherless teen in 1880s rural Indiana. Leonard’s revised version, published as Anatomy of Gray in 2006 and currently directed by Ben Martin at Open Fist Theatre Company, doesn’t hit that mark. It does, however, serve as a platform for well-crafted performances among a seasoned ensemble.
June (Rebekah Paugam), the pivotal character, is a sweet, typically disgruntled 15-year-old who longs to be growing up somewhere other than her tiny hometown where not much ever happens. Sadly, her safe boring world comes apart when her father passes away unexpectedly —in part because no doctor was available in her small rural community to administer care.
June prays for that to change and presto — it does. A hot air balloon carrying a physician knowledgeable about germs, nutrition and autopsies — concepts new to the unschooled church-going neighbors of June and her mom (Martha Demson) — crash lands nearby. The doctor, Galen P. Gray (Jeremy Guskin), is a worldly insightful man, albeit inconveniently afflicted with a distaste for the sight of blood, which limits his helpfulness in times of crisis. Following an initial distrust bred from parochial fears, Gray secures the confidence of the locals, assuaging their insomnia, arthritis and whatever other run-of-the-mill ailments have been afflicting them.
What Gray cannot cure is a mysterious deadly plague that first appears in the form of pustules on the skin of various citizens. This bodes ill for the doctor, who soon becomes suspect as the source of the contagion. That he’s Jewish exacerbates irrational fears within the community that threaten to rage out of control.
The playwright’s selection of themes — the root cause of intolerance (fear), a woman’s right to choose (June’s mom is pregnant and hasn’t the financial resources or the will to raise the child) and the portrait of a young girl who’s just begun to carve her own path — make this a story of substance for a youthful audience.
For older theatergoers, more may be required. On opening night, Paugam’s wide-eyed adolescent was rendered without much depth; that kept me as a viewer at an emotional distance. (My impression is this performer needs more onstage experience). Also, though skillfully rendered, the production (or the play, I’m not sure which) features a surfeit of shtick —a welcome antidote to the bathos, yes, but sometimes over the top as, for example, the number of times the good doctor faints or shrinks at the sight of blood.
That said, Guskin and the rest of the cast manage their roles with comic skill. Guskin’s timing is especially adroit (In his manner, he reminded me a bit of Gene Wilder), while James Fowler stands out as the town’s manly straight-talking blacksmith. Alexander Wells as the preachy pastor, Lane Allison as a flirty patient eager to be treated by the doctor and Debba Rofheart as an all-around ornery person are among those who enlivened what might have been broad stereotypes with just enough truth.
Jan Munroe designed the simple functional set, with scenic artist Stephanie Crothers’ backdrop suggesting a river and land beyond. Gavin Wyrick’s lighting and Marc Antonio Pritchett’s sound highlight the action when needed.
Open Fist Theatre at Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., Atwater; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 3 pm, dark Nov. 25, Dec. 18, Dec. 23-25, Dec. 30-31, Jan. 1; thru Jan. 15, 2023; Running time: approximately 90 minutes with an intermission. www.openfist.org.
Note: The production is double cast.
