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Image: Judith Ivey and Estelle Parsons. Photo: Carol Rosegg |
What Happens When Four Women Who Loved the Same Man Get
Together? Not What You Might Expect
By Lauren Yarger
Just throw out reality for about two hours and 15 minutes and
you’ll be able to enjoy four actresses having a lot of fun on stage in Israel
Horovitz’s bizarre comedy Out
of the Mouths of Babes getting
an extended Off-Broadway run at the Cherry Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village.
Headlining are two theater legends, Estelle Parsons, who has
five Tony award nominations (the latest for her compelling performance in Velocity of Autumn) and an
Oscar under her belt, and Judith Ivey, a Tony winner and multiple nominee too.
They play two of the ex lovers/wives who show up in Paris for the funeral of
the man they once loved.
Evelyn (Parsons), the second wife, lets herself into her
former apartment (designed by Neil Patel) with its lofty ceilings and walls
full of artwork only to be joined by his former lover, Evvie (Ivey) whom the
man saw during his marriage to Evelyn. If that isn’t enough awkwardness to go
around, they soon are joined by two others: another wife, Janice (Angelina
Fiordellisi), who once tried to commit suicide by jumping out of one of the
large windows overlooking the canal when she learned of the man’s infidelity to
her, and Marie-Belle (Francesca Choy-Kee) who is the current occupant of the
apartment, and who apparently still is receiving visits from her lover – the
man they all adored -- in ghostly form.
Again, I stress that the plot is off-the-charts ridiculous,
with the women joining together to keep Janice from taking the plunge again and
listening as Janice and her tickle-happy ghost lover get it on in the other
room. They say some very repetitive dialogue in a mediocre script that appears
to have been written just to allow characters to say certain lines. A lot of
those lines are pretty funny, but I am not sure they all would be without these
amazing actresses saying them. Parsons and Ivey seem to get laughter from lines
that aren’t really funny too, just by the way they deliver them.
The multi-generations represented by the four women tell us
that the deceased spent most of his 100 years collecting women. And despite his
infidelity, they all seem to still be carrying a torch for him. Marie-Belle,
the youngest and hippest of them all, is totally without any jealousy and
proposes that the women all share the apartment in a sort of living tribute to
him….
So the subject matter isn’t exactly what we hope for when it
comes to finally having a play on stage that has four female characters, and
several more mature ones to boot. They are all professionals in some way –
Evelyn was a journalist, Evvie is a Hollywood screenwriter and Janice is an
academic, but all these women seem to be able to do is fawn over their former
lover who doesn’t sound like he was such a great guy….
Getting to see Parsons and Ivey interact makes it worthwhile,
however. It also is nice to see Fiordellisi, celebrating her 20th year as Cherry Lane’s producing
artistic director, get a turn on stage too (she goes back on Broadway to Zorba). I’d love to see them
all in a play with something worth their acting abilities.
The combination of bizarre plot and male worship seems to
work because of the engaging actresses cast by Director Barnet Kellman. There also is a surprise visit by a guest not credited in
the Playbill. The show has been extended through July 31.
Out of the Mouths of Babes plays through July 31 at the
Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce St., NYC. Performances are Wednesday and Saturday at 3 and 7 pm; Thursday and Friday
at 7 pm; and Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets $66-$96: www.cherrylanetheatre.org; 866-811-4111.
Other
credits:
Costume Design by Joseph G. Aulisi , Lighting Design by Paul Miller, Sound Design by Leon Rothenberg.
FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:
-- Language
-- God's name taken in vain
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