First Folio's 'Mary's Wedding' a touching drama of love and loss
“Mary's Wedding” - ★ ★ ★
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, First Folio Theatre in Oak Brook goes out on a limb with the intimate two-actor drama “Mary's Wedding.” Stephen Massicotte's 2002 play defies expectations on multiple fronts, though it emerges mostly for the better.
Things don't feel quite right at first, especially with set designer Angela Weber Miller's detailed and towering barn that fills up Mayslake Peabody Estate's sanctuary space. It brings to mind Jud Fry's bunkhouse in “Oklahoma!” rather than the usual no man's land trenches seen in classic World War I dramas, though the set makes sense later in the play.
Likewise, Massicotte's pretentious way of structuring “Mary's Wedding” can be disorienting. The characters double as narrators while prefacing that everything you're about to see is actually a dream - an economic excuse to explain away the play's time-shifting flashbacks and scenes for characters who realistically couldn't be there. In addition, there are lengthy stretches of flowery literary descriptions of events rather than dialogue-driven drama.
Yet Massicotte's unconventional approach can be overlooked, especially once the touching story of love and loss at the heart of “Mary's Wedding” kicks in. At stake is the budding yet ultimately doomed romance between a Canadian stable-boy-turned-soldier named Charlie Edwards (Debo Balogun) and the soon-to-be bride Mary Chalmers (Heather Chrisler).
The two share an instant fascination with each other. She's the talkative daughter of transplanted and haughty English folk, while he has an instinctive way of taking care of and riding his beloved horses.
Balogun and Chrisler carry the show with plenty of tender emotion and technical panache - as seen in her unflappable British accent and his impressive pantomimed bravado in battle. The two Ping-Pong off each other, be it in scenes of tender flirtation or sheer wartime terror.
Director Melanie Keller helms the production with skill, drawing great contributions from her design team (particularly lighting designer Michael McNamara for the gauzy and dreamy look of the evening). Miller's aforementioned barn set soon takes on a symbolic significance, gradually making sense for its dominating presence as the play propels toward its tragic conclusion.
Massicotte's text for “Mary's Wedding” has structural issues, but his drive to share a significant piece of Canada's impact in World War I history is honorable. More significantly, “Mary's Wedding” serves as a potent reminder that the personal costs of war endure long after the final battle shots have been fired. That makes First Folio's production a fitting way to recall “the war to end all wars.”
<b>Location:</b> First Folio Theatre at Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st Street and Route 83, Oak Brook, (630) 986-8067 or firstfolio.org
<b>Showtimes:</b> 8 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, 3 p.m. Thursday and Sunday (no show April 5), 4 and 8 p.m. Saturday; through April 29
<b>Tickets:</b> $34-$44; $29-$39 seniors and students
<b>Running time:</b> About 90 minutes without intermission
<b>Parking:</b> Nearby free lots
<b>Rating:</b> Contains some mature language, but largely for teens and older