A Month of Sundays called a slice of life

DEE FISHER/independent play review

I really don’t know how it happened this season. Sometimes I have to review a production because the regular reviewers are unavailable. This season, I have had to review two productions. What is amazing is that I have had to review the two more serious productions, both of which ended with me in tears. Yes, in tears! Both The Dixie Swim Club and A Month of Sundays include a character who is slowly losing touch with reality, and that is brought home very firmly in the final scene of each play. The best part of that coincidence is that each actor was able to portray that loss of contact with reality very, very realistically.

A Month of Sundays is a beautiful, yet stark, portrayal of the autumn years of life from the viewpoints of characters of different ages and sensibilities. John Cooper (Rickard Workman) and Michael Aylott (Steve Lane) are the characters living through loss of physical and mental ability, and they deal with the situation with both gallows humor and some amount of fear. Julia (Jewell Kurtz) and Peter (Brad Doner), Cooper’s daughter and son-in-law, are watching Cooper slowly decline, and they react with both anxiety and mortification. Mrs. Baker (Monica Campbell) and Wilson (Andre’ Michelle), employees at the home where Cooper and Aylott live, are the most adjusted characters, aware of the changes that come with age and yet able to handle those changes with professionalism and sensitivity.

All in all, the production is a slice of life. I was privileged to work in a rest home during the summers between college semesters, and I worked with residents who were in pretty good shape for their ages and residents who had to introduce themselves to me every time I went to work. I can recognize the characters of Cooper and Aylott and the other residents they talk about. I found the portrayals of the residents and the employees of the home very believable. Unfortunately, the characters of Julia and Peter are also believable. They will make you either angry at their lack of empathy with Cooper, or they will make you cringe as you recognize their attitudes in family members, friends, or (worse) yourself. I have to hand it to George Dunster, the director of the production. He has done a superb job in leading the actors to find their characters.

Enjoy the production! It is easy on the eyes, with deep, rich hues of maroon, green, and gold predominating in the set (ably built by the Boley family: Amy, Ruth Ann, and Jack). I loved the music played before, during and after the show — it could be the soundtrack of most middle-aged lives. Be sure to stay connected to the action-there are many small nuances of meaning in the dialogue as well as interesting references to the classics and old movies. You’ll love it, and the final scene will have you on the edge of your seat — how will Cooper and Aylott ultimately handle each other’s decline?

A Month of Sundays will run for two weekends: March 26, 27, 30, 31, and April 1 and 2. Each production will start at 8 p.m., except for the Sunday performance, which begins at 2 in the afternoon. Make reservations by calling 419.238.9689 Monday through Friday between 2 and 6 in the afternoon, and an hour before each production. Don’t miss this one!