Cry It Out 

Reviewed by Terry Morgan 
Echo Theater Company 
Through August 19  

RECOMMENDED  

Caring for an infant is an important part of life, yet its difficulties are rarely depicted in the arts. While there is no lack of stories about pregnancy and birth, once the child is born, the drama seems to be considered less interesting. Playwright Molly Smith Metzler begs to differ, and her play Cry It Out ably demonstrates what a compelling and complex subject the caring of babies can be. The Echo Theater Company’s West Coast premiere of the show under Lindsay Allbaugh’s direction is an accomplished production, and the cast is superb.

In suburban Long Island, two new mothers meet and become friends. Lina (Megan Ketch) is brash and funny and seemingly confident, whereas the anxious Jessie (Jackie Chung) is worried about being a good mother. They bond daily over coffee meetings in Jessie’s yard, and provide support for each other as they discuss nursing, their family relationships and whether or not they should go back to their previous jobs. One day they are interrupted by the unexpected visit of rich businessman neighbor Mitchell (Brian Henderson), who has a surprising request: would they allow his troubled wife, Adrienne (Emily Swallow), to join their group?

As Lina, the excellent Ketch brings energy and sharp comedic timing to her portrayal, although it’s the anguished way she responds to her character’s financial troubles and their effect on her child that sticks with one the most. Chung is equally great as Jessie, displaying the woman’s kindness and concern for others without seeming overly sentimental. Henderson is good as the constantly apologizing Mitchell, although his character’s true intentions, as written, are somewhat ill-defined. Swallow is admirably sharp as the condescending Adrienne, and attacks her scenes with a cold fury.

Director Allbaugh gets terrific, detailed work from the performers, who are alive to all the subtle nuances in their interactions. Francois-Pierre Couture’s backyard set —  grass and a cloudy sky backdrop — is lovely, and Ann Closs-Farley’s costumes are adroitly constructed, from Adrienne’s designer business wear to Lina’s t-shirts and jeggings.

The main achievement of Metzler’s play is showing the plenitude of inherent drama in the mothering of infants: the terror of getting something wrong, the endless work, the social isolation. The fact that she layers in not only a lot of humor but also material on how babies affect a marriage and how socioeconomic class determines how an infant is cared for makes Metzler’s work even more impressive.

Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m.; Mon., 8 p.m.; through Aug. 19. www.EchoTheaterCompany.com. Running time: approximately one hour and 35 minutes with no intermission.