Theater Review: Wife to James Whelan

Shawn Fagan and Rosie Benton. Photo: Carol Rosegg

Three Women Vie for His Attentions, but This Guy’s No Prize
By Lauren Yarger
Three women contend to be Wife to James Whelan in a lost work by playwright Teresa Deevy being presented at the Mint Theater, but James (Shawn Fagan) is such a self-centered, judgmental, unforgiving guy, you have to wonder why any of them are interested in the position.

Nan (Janie Brookshire) is James’ first love, whom he leaves in his hometown of Kilbeggan, Ireland, to go off to find his fortune in Dublin. She doesn’t understand his wanting something more out of life than what the small town has to offer. She’s content to stay there and make a life with James. He’s content to have her wait there for him, but never really pops the question while demanding that she not see anyone else while he's gone.

Meanwhile, dependable friend Kate (Rose Benton) wishes James would look at her the way he does at Nan, but wisely keeps her feelings hidden and clings to the close friendship he feels for her instead.

Seven years later, James has made a success of Silver Wings Motor Services, a bus transportation company, and he takes great pleasure in reminding everyone he's boss and hiring his old mate Tom (Aidan Redmond). He also revels in running old nemesis, Bill (Jeremy S. Holm), out of his transportation business. Kate, now helping to run Silver Wings with her brother, Apollo (Jon Fletcher), tells her boss that Nan, who married Jack (Thomas Matthew Kelley), another suitor while James was off making his fortune, is having a hard time providing for her young son following her husband’s death. James enjoys Nan’s humiliation, but eventually offers her a job in the office. Starving, and desperate to provide for her child, Nan steals some money from James’ desk and seeing the act as yet another betrayal, he has her thrown in prison.

If Nan holds out any hopes that she might be able to rekindle the feelings James once had for her, they are threatened by the arrival of Nora (Liv Rooth), the daughter of a business man who might be able to offer James a partnership and further business success. And Kate, with her continued place of trust in James' life, isn’t out of the running either. Which woman will be selected to be wife to James Whelan?

Because Deevy’s writing is so engaging and lyrical, we almost can’t wait to find out who James will choose, despite the fact that his over inflated ego and judgmental, unforgiving nature, hardly make him a worthy catch. The man who insisted on moving forward and not being stuck in the contentment of his small town is the only one unable to move ahead emotionally. Tom, with his steady, kind and wise maturity is a better match for any of the women, but no one seems to notice.

The play is staged on Jane Shaw’s simple brick-and-stone set with two intermissions to break up the 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Wife to James Whelan is a pleasant study of human nature. The almost forgotten playwright is getting her due at the Mint Theater Company, 311 West 43rd St., with the production of this play (through Oct. 3) and a second, Temporal Powers as well as a variety of other activities around the productions.

Tickets are available by calling 212-315-0231 or at http://www.minttheater.org/.

Christian might also like to know:
No content or language notes.