Drama burrows deep into family unrest
In true Chekhovian fashion, there is all talk and little action in "Dolly West's Kitchen," Irish playwright Frank McGuinness' telling examination of family, love and war.
The domestic unrest that roils the West family --strong-willed siblings Esther, Dolly and Justin and their mercurial widowed mother Rima -- finds its counterpart in the tumult of World War II, which serves as backdrop for this good but not great Irish drama in its Chicago premiere at Timeline Theatre.
Underscoring the play is the question of neutrality: the neutrality Ireland adopts for its protection during the second World War and the detachment the West siblings adopt to insulate themselves from rejection and loss. Something they're all too familiar with thanks to their late father, an unfaithful husband often absent from their lives.
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There's wary, college-educated Dolly (a savvy, appealing Kat McDonnell); oldest sister Esther (Danica Ivancevic, radiating discontent), aloof and unfulfilled in her marriage to the loyal Ned (Mark Richard, who invites sympathy and respect) and outraged brother Justin (an impassioned Niall McGinty), a closeted homosexual whose repressed sexuality finds release in fervent nationalism.
Determined to breach their defenses, outspoken matriarch Rima (Kathleen Ruhl, delightful in the obligatory role as colorful sage) invites a couple of U.S. soldiers stationed in Ireland, Jamie (Aaron Golden) and his cousin, the openly gay Marco (Joshua Rollins) who uses sarcasm to mask his pain.
Other outsiders find their way to Dolly's kitchen, including Dolly's former lover Alec (Cliff Chamberlain) a British soldier despised by Justin and Anna(Sara Hoyer, combining schoolgirl innocence with tough-cookie charm) the West's maid who despite her youth is no "soft touch."
Within the confines of set designer Brian Sidney Bembridge's cozy kitchen flanked by a lush garden and a rocky shore, the Wests and their guests bicker and tease, enrage, disengage and forgive to reach an emotional d#233;tente with each other and the rest of the world.
Kimberly Senior's direction is sound, her staging graceful and her cast (with the exception of some erratic accents) is solid. McGuinness' drama is humorous and colorfully written. But his characters' behavior isn't always credible, their motivations are sometimes unclear and the narrative transitions are abrupt. Still, this intimate drama of an imperfect family is one worth sampling.
"Dolly West's Kitchen"
3 stars out of four
Location: TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago
Times: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Feb. 27, March 3, 5, 19; 8 p.m. Fridays; 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays through March 22
Running Time: About 2 hours, including intermission
Tickets: $25, $30
Parking: Limited metered parking, paid lots nearby
Box office: (773) 281-8463 or www.timelinetheatre.com
Rating: Strong language; for teens and older