Gulf View Drive
By Arlene Hutton
Directed by Martha Frazier
Reviewed by Keith Waits
Entire contents are
copyright © 2012, Keith Waits. All rights reserved.
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| Kelly Patton and Garret Patton appear in Gulf View Drive. Photo courtesy of Little Colonel Playhouse. |
Last season, Little Colonel Players mounted a thoughtful production of Last Train to Nibroc, the first in a
trilogy of plays by Arlene Hutton charting the relationship of Raleigh and May,
a young couple from Kentucky who meet during World War II. Now comes the final
chapter, Gulf View Drive, with the
same two actors who so successfully portrayed these characters the first time: Garret and Kelly Patton.
A program note explains that it was decided not to mount the second
play, See Rock City, because it was
deemed to be too sad and unresolved, with the couple apparently separated,
uncertain about whether they have a future together. Audiences are not always
easy to come by, so it is difficult to fault companies for choosing as much for
the marketplace as for artistic gratification. But I must confess
disappointment at the missed opportunity of following the story through all
three plays, especially since they have done a pretty good job once again.
We catch up to the couple in 1953, which positions the trilogy as neatly
encapsulating the American post-war period on the cusp of Eisenhower-era
prosperity. They are now married and living on the gulf coast of Florida with
May’s mother, and Raleigh’s mother has come for an extended visit. After his
sister Treva arrives to escape a troubled marriage, the stress and strain of
Raleigh and May’s relationship begin to be explored in earnest, allowing the
playwright to explore a moving family dynamic. What results is a scenario that
finds satisfying dramatic resolution while forecasting societal changes that
are still part of the social and political discourse today.
Garrett and Kelly Patton bring some of the same deep understanding of
Raleigh and May that characterized their first attack on this couple, although
the inclusion of other characters dilutes the impact slightly. Grace Poganski
does well by Mrs. Brummett (Raleigh’s mother), but she is hampered somewhat by
the writer’s insistence on grounding this character in tired mother-in-law
clichés that are the one truly weak aspect of the writing. It provides for some
laughs and Ms. Patton, in particular, plays off Ms. Polanski’s well-turned judgmental
barbs with great subtlety; but it remains a weakness.
As May’s mother, Mrs. Gill – who lives with the couple – Janet Morris finds
the (comparatively) free spirit and compassion of the character, illustrating a
sharp contrast between the two mother hens. Finally, Kristina Ramsey attacks
the role of Treva with great energy that threatens to overcome the character
but still manages to illuminate the conflicts within a complex and
self-absorbed woman grappling with her own domestic troubles.
Although the early scenes suffered a few stumbled line readings and
dropped cues, the overall pace of Martha Frazier’s staging was brisk, moving at
just the right speed to allow the audience to connect with the characters.
Gulf View Drive
December 6, 7, 8, 14 & 15 at 8 p.m.
December 9 & 16 at 2:30 p.m.
Little Colonel Playhouse
302 Mount Mercy Drive
Crestwood, KY 40014
(502) 241-9906
littlecolonel.org
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