I never thought I'd say this, but the best show of the season is a one-woman play featuring the cross-town rivals of my beloved New York Mets. Usually, I dislike one-person shows for their general lack of conflict, but Algonquin Theatre Company's production of John Ford Noonan's psychological drama All She Really Cares About is the Yankees has all of the drama, comedy, and even more of the power of a multi-person play. Robyn Allen has topped once more my already high expectations for her by turning in a performance that is as perfectly measured as it is deeply considered. Her work with director Ron Hunting has resulted in an immaculately paced and timed show that reveals layer upon layer of the deeply conflicted character struggling through the hour and ten minute piece.
Set in a Greenwich Village loft in July 1983, Maureen "Spanky" Oberfield is struggling through a poor game by her obsessively beloved Yankees against the Milwaukee Brewers. Her apartment is a shrine to the Bronx Bombers, and she tapes letters of instruction to Billy Martin in an attempt to ignore the larger issues hovering menacingly over her life. Spanky is a 39 year-old woman whose inability to discover her connection to life has made her a virtual agoraphobic, unable to step through her apartment door and confront her icy father or the boyfriend who rejected her a month-and-a-half ago. Unable to deal with these now-mythic men in her life, she has turned to the equally mythic Yankees, stand-in men who are distant enough to idolize and worship without being able to truly hurt her. There are tapes, though, that try to encourage her to leave, and eventually, the truth behind these hilarious recordings lets the audience see just how far removed from herself she has become.
Not only is Allen able to convey all of these intense conflicts, she is equally successful with the many moments of levity within the piece, allowing her character to be sympathetic without ever becoming pathetic. Every word, every movement, every facial expression adds another facet to Allen's wounded charge. In accord with Hunting's intense visual and sound effects, and Scott Campbell's excellent lighting design, the audience empathizes with Allen's desperate attempts to regain control. Watching her work is seeing an actress who has explored every nuance of a role, and is able to convey this knowledge while at the same time embracing without hesitation the character's vulnerability. Allen gives the best performance I have seen thusfar from her, making me wonder why I'm not reviewing her on the professional stage more often.
I can't stress enough how I feel that everyone should see this production before it closes on the 28th. What Algonquin is offering is a lesson on how to bring together all elements of theatre to support an excellent performance. This is a show that takes risks, and is subsequently rewarding for all who join in the journey.
Production Details:
All She Really Cares About is the Yankees by John Ford Noonan
The Algonquin Theatre
The Compass Black Box Stage at Theater Works, Peoria (For a map to location, click this
link)
(623) 815-7930
April 12th - 28th, 2002