ANOTHER WAY HOME: Comedy/Drama by Anna Ziegler and directed by Meredith McDonough. Magic Theatre, Fort Mason Center, Building D, 3rd Floor (Theatre), San Francisco, California 94123. (415) 441-8822 or www.magictheatre.org. November 13- December 2, 2012
ANOTHER WAY HOME is tightly constructed at the Magic
During a partial summer spent at the O’Neill Playwrights Conference with the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) our critics group reviewed and took part in discussions of the plays being work shopped there. The authors must have resilience to continue work on their new plays after a barrage of criticisms, suggestions and even accolades made by all involved (other authors, stage designers, technical personnel etc.). Author Anna Ziegler’s Another Way Home has gone through that rigorous process and was also work shopped at the Marin Theater Company with the marvelous Julie Brothers in the matriarchal role. In its present form the play has the feeling of being put together by the numbers. It is perfectly constructed but it did not receive the standing ovation of previous world premieres staged at the Magic.
The opening paragraph is more an observation rather than a critical comment. The total production is finely acted, tightly staged and a rewarding 80 minute evening. The play is semi-linear with the Nadelmans, a Jewish couple, narrating the story that is intermingled with present time action, past narrated letters, emails and multiple asides to the audience. The PR notes refer to it as a memory play and that is somewhat appropriate. Although the location is a summer sleep-over camp in Maine, the production staff has elected to use an attractive but non-committal Annie Smart set possibly to suggest universality to the proceedings.
Phillip (Mike Pinter) and Lillian (Kim Martin-Cotton) Nadleman are in their mid-fifties and have some to visit their 17 year old son Joseph (he prefers to be called Joey) at the Camp Kickapoo (don’t you love that name) in rural Maine. Joey is described by Lillian as having ‘Lots of social “ issues”. . . first ADD, then ADHD, autism, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and most recently depression.” He probably does not take his Ritalin. There is also a daughter Nora (Riley Krull) who is bright with none of the above disorders. She is at home and communicates with Joey by email and her parents by cell phone.
The final character is Mike T. (Jeremy Kahn) a 20 year old camp counselor who has befriended Joey. You do not discover his inner demons until, right on schedule, late in the play when it is appropriate to inject some explanatory relationship with Joey and the family that is critical to the dénouement allowing an almost happy ending.
The fine acting of Pinter and Martin-Cotton rarely leave the stage, creating physical interaction and words that sharply define the problems of parenthood, marital relationships and the true meaning of love. Although their characters are intricately directed by Meredith McDonough and are praise worthy, it is Daniel Petzold as Joey who steals your heart with his petulant mood swings, round shoulders, head bent forward and
Daniel Petzold as Joey
spontaneous verbal outbursts that grab the brass ring. You may remember Jeremy Kahn’s brilliant performance in SF Playhouse production of Tigers Be Still and he continues to show his ability in the underwritten part of Mike T. Ziegler has not fully defined the role of Nora but Riley Krull makes the most of that unenviable part.
Kedar K. Adour, MD
Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com
