In
"The Butcher of Baraboo" a small Midwestern town provides a familiar stage
for an unfamiliar family story. What at first appears to be a simple and
literal kitchen sink drama travels a number of additional roads including
sibling rivalries and resentments, lurking past and current passions, legal and
illegal uses of prescription drugs, missing persons, and the meaning of family.
This evolving play works on many levels and deserves to be seen in many venues.
The
descriptive and bouncy title prepares us for the plentiful humor that we
encounter with these characters, and allows some of the more serious and subtle
plot notes to take us by surprise. We spend time with these characters on two
days in February, a year after husband of the titular butcher Valerie (Annabel
Amour) has gone
missing, has been presumed dead, complete with memorial service. Valerie's
adult pharmacist daughter Midge (Rebecca Sohn) lives with her, with
dramatically familiar tensions -- e.g. with two adults in the household, who
will replace needed foodstuffs and who is embarrassing the family with
activities in town? Gail (Natalie West), the sister of Valerie's absent husband, is a
town cop (Marge from "Fargo" meets Barney Fife from "The Andy Griffith
Show") who
frequently drops in on Valerie with hints for snacks, insinuations about
Valerie's possible responsibility for her brother's absence, and inquiries
related to Midge's social activities. The cast is soon rounded out with Donal (John
Judd), brother
of Gail and Valerie's missing husband, and Donal's young wife Sevenly (Danica
Ivancevic), who
have moved to Wisconsin from Utah with their six young children.
This
is a truly Midwestern play with Midwestern voices portraying Midwestern lives.
Humor is subtle and sometimes snide but never overtly cruel. Stories come out
in pieces; self confessional conversations do not come easily to our
hardworking, stalwart stock. And yet they come. Emotion is expressed in few
words; intensity comes in small moments that are limited and powerful and
inherently theatrical and make for stunning theatre: a simple hug is held a
little longer than expected, expressing longing for times that have past.
One
pivotal, provocative, powerful scene involving Midge and Sevenly could spark a
play in itself - you want to know these two women better. Midge asks and
re-asks during the scene "You want to know my deepest secret?" Trust
me, you won't be surprised by the secret, but you'll be mesmerized by the play
itself. The performances by all involved, in particular Rebecca Sohn as Midge,
are entrancing.
Setting
the action of this play a year after the funeral held for Valerie's husband
resonates in several ways. In particular, while no religion other than
Mormonism is referred to in this play (Donal and Sevenly are Mormon we assume),
this time period and the revelations and resolutions that are initiated act as
a kind of "unveiling", not unlike the Jewish tradition of unveiling
the gravestone of a loved one after a year of mourning has passed. At this
time, words are said, and life moves on. Is that not what a good piece of
theatre achieves?
This
particular production as part of the second First Look festival of new plays
was short-lived by design. Marisa Wegrzyn is a new voice worth following, to see what
evolves from this play with new productions.