Mar 14, 2008

Autumn romance blooms in 'Comforts'

By John Angell Grant / Theater Reviewer

Love blooms for two 70-something senior citizens in Kathleen Clark's 2006 off-Broadway comedy "Southern Comforts." The show is running at Lucie Stern Theater in Palo Alto, presented by TheatreWorks.

The two-character play stars Berkeley native and University of California, Berkeley, graduate Karen Grassle, who played Ma Ingalls on television's long-running series "Little House on the Prairie."

"Southern Comforts" is a show about the ups and downs of an autumn romance. It feels a bit like a Lifetime TV movie. The production seems to especially resonate with the retirement crowd, who responded enthusiastically at last Sunday's matinee performance.

"Southern Comforts" starts one rainy afternoon when out-of-town Tennessee belle Amanda takes shelter from a storm in grouchy Gus' suburban New Jersey living room.

The two become friends as they share about disappointing former marriages, and current challenges with adult children. Because they are able to be honest with each other, a relationship develops.

Much of the comedy plays off gruff Gus' clueless behavior in the male/female relationship world. Without romantic social skills, his life consists of puttering around the house, installing storm windows and watching baseball on TV.

"Southern Comforts" covers a lot of familiar ground. There is a sense of cliche to the characters, whose stories feel generic, rather than distinct and individual.

Gus' emotional blankness, funny at first, becomes a repetitious device that blocks more interesting character development. In the play's sitcom-like structure, the story line is sometimes sacrificed for a gag.

But for the Palo Alto Sunday matinee seniors, who loved it, the show transcended these limitations. I guess the audience is always right.

Director Joy Carlin's TheatreWorks production could have gotten more mileage out of its resources. The two actors don't get full or genuine effect from the contrasting New Jersey and Tennessee accents.

More limiting, the two actors haven't found an honest romantic chemistry. In Edward Sarafian's self-absorbed performance it's hard to see why he cares about the relationship, or even that the feeling might exist that he wants the relationship to work, but is just not able to express that. As Amanda, this gives Grassle little to play off.

With no convincing physical or emotional connection expressed in their relationship, the production runs at a monotone. Amanda and Gus just don't seem close, so it's not clear why they would choose to have a relationship. The script asks them to fall in love.

There is room in the script for a wider spectrum of feelings than we see on this stage. The show would be funnier and more exciting with a larger emotional palate, especially during the boffo sitcom moments.

Amanda and Gus' scene where they hesitantly approach the subject of sex is a highlight of the production. Elsewhere, a living room furniture transition, done with the lights dimmed as an interlude between dialogue scenes, is a nice touch. It becomes a small, silent story in its own right.

The older crowd leaving the theater seemed very entertained. They gave it an enthusiastic response. If you're 70-something, or know someone who is, you might like "Southern Comforts," too.

Rating: Three stars

E-mail John Angell Grant at jagplays@paloaltodailynews.com.