Laughter Through Tears at UMD's Marvin's Room
Sheryl Jensen
Duluth News Tribune
March 3, 2017
Finding laughter in a play about death, disease and dependency seems like a stretch. Yet, that is exactly what happened with the audience at UMD Theatre's opening night of Scott McPherson's Marvin's Room.
At the heart of the story is Bessie (Alyson Enderle), a big-hearted soul, who, for 20 years, has taken care of her dying father Marvin (Bud Gibson), and her aging Aunt Ruth (Maggie Thompson) who suffers from debilitating back pain.
To add to Bessie's overwhelming burdens, she is diagnosed with leukemia and needs to turn to her estranged sister Lee (LJ Klassen) and two troubled nephews, Hank (Paul Icenogle) and Charlie (Austin Becker), as possible bone marrow donors.
Enderle gives a lovely performance in a role that could come off as too saint-like without the deeper humanity and understated sense of humor she brings to the part. Klassen's flashier Lee is also well-played, showing how two very different sisters took markedly divergent paths.
The role of Hank has the potential to be a stereotypical one, a young man consumed with anger and teenage angst. Instead, Icenogle imbues the character with an innate dignity and sensitivity that adds to the richness of his portrayal.
As the younger nerdy brother Charlie, Becker creates some delightfully humorous moments, whether "trapped" in his sleeping bag or sporting a Goofy hat at Disney World.
At the comical core of the play is zany Aunt Ruth, whose back ailment is treated with an electronic anesthetizer. Humorously, when she turns up the dial of the device in the kitchen, the automatic garage door goes up.
Thompson convincingly plays well beyond her years and elicits many of the laughs, as Ruth is confused about the minutiae of daily life, but can remember every detail of what is happening on her soap opera.
At two and a half hours, (with intermission), the show feels long. Slow pacing makes things drag at times, particularly in Act I.
Standing set pieces from scenic designer Suzannah Weiss are stone monoliths that do not seem to enhance the themes of the show in any meaningful way. Except for one rock piece that is used effectively for the outdoor locale, the other Flintstones-like indoor pieces are incongruous and jarring.
However, Curtis Phillips' projections, in a series of framed screens, provide an intentionally distorted, and at the same time artistic backdrop, effectively setting the ambiance for each scene. Marvin's room (and the only way we see the title character) is the center screen lit in silhouette.
One of Marvin's few pleasures is when light is refracted from a compact mirror and his lamp to create fairy-like patterns on the walls and ceiling. It is in the dying man's room that we experience the magic of what love and compassion can do to connect souls.
How a family who bonds together can begin to heal each other emotionally, if not physically, is at the heart and soul of Marvin's Room. Director William Payne and his talented ensemble mine the depths of this show for both its laughter and tears, getting to the core of McPherson's lyrical script.
