Entertainment

Late artistic director's spirit animates First Folio's 'And Neither Have I Wings to Fly'

Posted February 01, 2023 5:00 pm

Barbara Vitello

Contemplating life changes, Eveline (Hayley Rice) falls in love with Charlie (Andrew Behling), a knockabout who returns home after years away in First Folio Theatre's “And Neither Have I Wings to Fly.” Courtesy of First Folio Theatre

“And Neither Have I Wings to Fly” - ★ ★ ★ ½

From story to staging, the spirit of the late Alison C. Vesely animates First Folio Theatre's “And Neither Have I Wings to Fly,” the final production of the Oak Brook company she and husband David Rice founded 26 years ago.

It's evident in the humanity that underscores director Heather Chrisler's production, humanity that also characterized Vesely's work. It's evident in the way Chrisler, like Vesely, ensures every character has a moment and every moment is earned.

On the eve of a celebration, the Donnelly family and their friends swap stories in Ann Noble's "And Neither Have I Wings to Fly," running through Feb. 26 at First Folio Theatre. Courtesy of First Folio Theatre

But Vesely's presence may be most tangibly felt in the casting of her husband, David, and their daughter, Hayley Rice, who play father and daughter in this combination domestic drama and ghost story by Irish Theatre of Chicago co-founder Ann Noble. This marks the second time they've played father and daughter (First Folio's 2013 production of “The Rainmaker” was the first). And their offstage relationship makes even more resonant Noble's gentle tale about loss, love, loyalty and the pursuit of one's own happiness.

Named for a lyric in the folk tune “The Water is Wide,” the play unfolds in the mid-1950s at the Donnelly family's quaint, rural Ireland home (another handsome, richly detailed First Folio set by Angela Weber Miller).

Kathleen Donnelly (Jennifer Mohr) is seduced by old flame Freddy Malone (Michael Dias) days before she's to marry the reliable Leo in Ann Noble's Irish domestic drama "And Neither Have I Wings to Fly" in a revival at First Folio Theatre. Courtesy of First Folio Theatre

We meet the Donnellys returning from the funeral of matriarch Moira (Adrianne Cury), who died after a long illness, one week before her youngest daughter's wedding. While her emotionally shuttered husband, Peter (played with gruff reserve by David Rice), mourns alone, their youngest daughter, Kathleen (Jennifer Mohr), a flibbertigibbet ambivalently engaged to the mild-mannered Leo (David Gordon-Johnson), flirts with Freddy (Michael Dias), an actor and former flame.

Much of the family caretaking falls to older daughter Eveline (Hayley Rice), who for years set aside her own desires to tend to her family. Upon her mother's passing, she considers accepting a scholarship offer to study literature at a Dublin university, but her sense of duty and Moira's ghost give her pause.

Further complications arise with the arrival of Leo's wayward brother Charlie (the affable, impassioned Andrew Behling), a fiercely protective prodigal son whose wisdom is hard-won. As their romance blossoms, Evie weighs her growing affection for him with her family responsibilities and her desire to spread her wings. Meanwhile bride-to-be Kathleen considers her own options: settle down with good-guy Leo or fly away with bad-boy Freddy.

First Folio Theatre's revival of the Irish drama "And Neither Have I Wings to Fly" stars David Gordan-Johnson, left, Michael Dias, Jennifer Mohr, David Rice and Andrew Behling. Courtesy of First Folio Theatre

“And Neither Have I Wings to Fly” flirts with melodrama and the ghost story lacks the suspense Vesely so ably injected into First Folio's “The Woman in Black” and “The Turn of the Screw.” But Noble's play has heart (which Chrisler embraces but doesn't overly indulge) and its characters have depth, which her cast ably conveys. Mohr reveals the desperation that animates Kathleen's flightiness. Gordon-Johnson gives the principled Leo an unassuming dignity. And Dias reveals the artist's soul in the perpetually smug Freddy, who is transformed by Shakespeare's masterful poetry in a deftly staged scene that reveals the power of literature Evie longs to explore.

Hayley Rice personifies forbearance as Evie, whose oft-repeated refrain - “I'll take care of everything” - reflects her role in the family. It's a subdued performance punctuated by flashes of pique that Rice makes credible and which reveal in a memorable scene involving a party dress how indispensable Evie is to the family.

Hayley Rice and Andrew Behling co-star in First Folio Theatre's final production, Ann Noble's "And Neither Have I Wings to Fly." Courtesy of First Folio Theatre

But for me, this production's most moving moments came courtesy of David and Hayley Rice, whose performances mark the first time they've acted together since Alison's death six years ago.

Their interactions are poignant, especially the scene late in the play, during which Peter recognizes Evie deserves to soar and offering her his benediction. As David uttered Peter's lines, I couldn't help thinking their exchange was about more than actors playing a scene.

“Your mother would be proud,” he said.

Of that I have no doubt.

Location: First Folio Theatre at Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W. 31st St., Oak Brook, (630) 986-8067, firstfolio.org

Showtimes: 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; 3 p.m. Thursdays; 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 26

Running time: About 2 hours, 30 minutes, with intermission

Tickets: $44-$59

Parking: In the adjacent lot

Rating: For teens and older

COVID-19 precautions: Proof of vaccination and masks required

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