On the Other Hand, We’re Happy
Reviewed by Deborah Klugman
Rogue Machine Theatre
Through April 17
Welsh playwright Daf James’s On the Other Hand, We’re Happy tells the story of a couple’s efforts to adopt a child and the subsequent doubts and fears that plague both the prospective parents and the birth mother. Now at Rogue Machine Theater under the direction of Cameron Watson, the American premiere features a skilled three-person ensemble, with an especially impressive turn by Alexandra Hellquist as a drug-and-alcohol plagued young woman compelled to part with her daughter. Unfortunately, the story’s emotional impact is undercut by stylistic elements in both the writing and the staging, among them the theater-in-the-round presentation and the actors’ double-quick pace of delivery. It should be noted that both these elements are written into the script rather than opted for by this director.
Friends, and later lovers, Josh (Christian Telesmar) and Abbie (Rori Flynn) have been attracted to each other since childhood. One day they decide to have a baby. But there is a problem — Josh is infertile. So, the couple embark on the process of adoption, going through a lengthy discussion about which background factors they would accept (Down Syndrome, HIV, parental substance abuse?) and which they would reject. They consult with a social worker and zero in on a little girl named Tyler from an abusive home. Fate interferes, however, and their initial plans go awry. Later Josh proceeds on his own, and the story moves forward through his encounters with the bureaucracy, his tense meeting with Kelly the birth mom (Hellquist) and later his experience as a single dad raising a young girl on his own.
All this back-and-forth to a decision — plus their doubts after —goes on for an extended while and gets wordy, despite the dialogue’s clipped rhythms and the expressive physicality of the performers. There’s an argument to be made that the topic itself has stronger appeal for those who have been through a similar experience, as opposed to viewers who haven’t. Also, the text tends to prioritize narrative over character; Josh and Abbie keep switching from telling their story to depicting it. Telesmar and Flynn work together well and are on point throughout, but they aren’t really given the opportunity to give us three-dimensional portraits.
Which is why the production immediately shifts into higher gear when Hellquist’s Kelly, bearing the scars of addiction and its root cause, physical and sexual abuse, takes center stage. Kelly’s a hurt soul, both cowed and defiant. She loves her child but knows she can’t care for her. All these conflicting and conflicted emotions are present in spades in a vital, intense performance that vivifies the drama.
One other factor might have improved on the production’s dynamic — apart from 3 small benches on a bare stage, Stephanie Kerley Schwartz ‘s scenic design envelops actors and audience with a floor to ceiling wall covering, craggy and granite-colored. Are we in a cave? On another planet? Is this the interior of someone’s mind? Whatever might have been intended, the effect is depersonalizing in a narrative where appealing to the viewer’s empathy is key.
The Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood; Fri.-Sat. & Mon., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 pm; thru April 17. www.roguemachinetheatre.net
