The West Side Waltz

Reviewed by Taylor Kass

Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum

Through Oct. 1

Margaret Mary Elderdice (Ellen Geer) lives alone, and she likes it that way. Irritated by her gossipy fellow tenants and the constant presence of her chatty violinist neighbor Cara Varnum (Melora Marshall), she is content to spend her time alone at her piano. But when she begins to lose mobility, she is forced to admit that she might possibly need a tiny bit of help and invites a free-spirited young woman Robin Bird (Taylor Jackson Ross) to move in with her. Theatricum Botanicum’s production of The West Side Waltz, under the direction of Mary Jo DuPrey, is light on plot but rich in characters, bolstered by a stellar trio of leading ladies.

Ellen Geer as Margaret Mary is graceful to her core, tough as nails, and bitingly funny as she steps into a role famously played by fellow greats such as Katharine Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine. As the silly yet warm-hearted Cara Varnum, Melora Marshall (Ellen Geer’s sister) is charmingly un-self-aware with impeccable comedic timing.

In the show I saw, understudy Taylor Jackson Ross stepped in for Willow Geer to play Robin Bird, an independent but rootless young woman who takes the gig caring for Margaret Mary to off-set the cost Manhattan rent as she kick-starts her acting career. Willow Geer, the daughter of Ellen Geer and niece of Melora Marshall, is meant to complete the trio of family members starring in West Side Waltz, but understudy Ross quite literally being the odd woman out adds an additional layer of dissonance to Robin and Margaret Mary’s struggle to understand each other.

The expansive layout of Margaret Mary’s apartment (scenic design by John Eslick) against the gorgeous outdoor backdrop of Theatricum’s outdoor set seems almost too grand for even the most spacious of NYC apartments. Giving the women who live in (and frequently pop into) Margaret Mary’s home too much room to breathe lets tension dissipate too easily and softens the claustrophobia of Margaret Mary sharing her space with another person after so many years alone.

Ernest Thompson’s newly updated version of the script, tweaked from the 1981 Broadway play and 1995 film, has a clear and succinct thesis that is evident from the very first scene — no human being can thrive in isolation, and we need each other more deeply than we realize. “It’s not normal to be alone. Human beings aren’t meant to be alone,” protests Cara Varnum. It’s all too relevant to a society just beginning to peek our heads out after more than two years of pandemic-era forced solitude. But there are so many other themes introduced by the rich characterization that deserve more attention: abandoned dreams, lost love, coping with unexpected grief, and the frightening reality of aging. With the exception of the unsettling and moving final scene, The West Side Waltz’s core conflicts are too rote and too neatly resolved. But what The West Side Waltz lacks in drama, it makes up for in creating a rich canvas of characterization for its three stars.

Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga; Running in repertory, schedule varies through Oct. 1. Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.(310) 455-3723 or theatricum.com.