Strong female characters in Blackhorse play
By Katharine Todd
The The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds is an ambitious choice for the Blackhorse Village Players. Written by Paul Zindel and originally produced off Broadway at the end of the flower-child era of the early 1970s, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds pays homage to the great family dramas of Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill.
The plot is deceptively simple; a dysfunctional family of women struggle to find peace and their place in the world despite being the subjects of ridicule by the local townsfolk.
The dubious matriarch, Beatrice, is portrayed by Cheryl Phillips in a superlative performance. Phillips rips into the character of Beatrice, who is bitter, a chain-smoking, mean-spirited drunk and an all around vile excuse for a mother. Beatrice's delirious notions of an aborted grand destiny are an excuse to verbally, emotionally and physically abuse her daughters Tillie and Ruth, as well as her elderly charge Nanny.
The eldest daughter, Ruth, is a teenager with the drama of her years compounded by the reality of undiagnosed epilepsy,
night terrors, and the issue of her mother's obvious lunacy. Heather Ann Ross gives Ruth a powerful, manic momentum that forces the audience to follow her every movement across the stage. When Ruth is at full throttle, it is a brave, unrelenting, and compelling character.
The perfect foil for Beatrice and Ruth is the quiet, unassuming, inner strength of Matilda, or Tillie as she is called. Tillie is the peace-keeper, the tender of rabbits and marigolds, and the representation of all the ruined dreams of the family. Justine Blake gives Matilda a haunting, wistful quality that is impressive in a young actress.
The two sub characters, Nanny and Janice Vickery, played respectively by Cheryl Lavigne and Ashley Abbott, give needed comedic relief in an otherwise dark and serious production. Specifically, Lavigne as Nanny, without saying a single word has the audience choking and gasping with laughter.
The play ends in an unresolved, violent climax of emotion that leaves the audience both relieved and disappointed. Despite the bum and legs that are long asleep, the audience wants to see more of these women, a firm resolution, but like all our lives, it is not to be.
