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GF Theatre Season Continues With Comedy
and Drama By Christopher P. Jacobs Staff Writer Last Thursday, was the regional premiere of a new
comedy-drama by Canadian playwright Paddy Gillard-Bentley, and only the
second time the play has been staged in the United States. “Shaking the
Dew From the Lilies” continues at Kathy Coudle-King directed this
intimate look at five very different women accidentally locked in a mall
restroom overnight. With a frankness that ranges from bawdy to brutal, the
play skillfully blends broad situation comedy with thought-provoking drama.
As the women’s unexpected evening together progresses, the proceedings
reveal an often-poignant depth to characters that first appear to each other
and to the audience as simple stereotypes. This is truly an ensemble cast, with all the characters
working together, banding into smaller groups, realigning their allegiances,
bonding, and with each at some point taking turns in the limelight to deliver
some sort of personal monologue. The characters start out comically venting
their frustrations about whatever comes to mind (from their stranded situation
to lack of toilet paper to various romantic relationships). But conversation
gradually gets more personal and more intense, leading to a nicely-developed
dramatic arc with a conclusion that is satisfying, yet slightly open-ended. All five actresses do fine jobs, and each gets the chance
to shine in her character’s showpiece monologue. The most powerful
scene in the play, due to both the writing and Sara Anderson’s moving
performance, is when prissy “rich-bitch” Cynthia, whom the other
four teasingly tolerate at first, loosens up enough after a half a bottle of
gin to explain her relationship with her mother. The sarcastic and sexually promiscuous Tami and Aja, played aggressively and entertainingly by Nicole Quam and Caitlin Lien, also get powerful scenes that
account for some of their quirky personal hang-ups. Aja’s
best-friend Susan, played with a layered sensitivity by Skye Mauch, likewise has moments that reveal significant back
story in both their lives. The lighter-hearted, somewhat older, and more
laid-back Nicole acts as something of a catalyst and a bonding element in the
group, well-handled by community theatre veteran Adonica
Schultz Aune. She, too, has secrets that come out
during the course of their long night together. With its strong dose of bathroom humor and sexual content,
“Shaking the Dew From the Lilies” is not a show for everyone, but
the Fire Hall production is well-worth seeing for mature theatre-goers.
It’s running at Opening next Tuesday and running in UND’s
basement “Lab Theatre” at Questions and comments: christopher.jacobs@und.edu If You Go What: Shaking the Dew From the Lilies Where: Fire Hall Theatre, When: Thurs-Sat, |
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Greater Grand Forks Community Theatre presents “Shaking the Dew from the Lilies”Posted by the editor • The For the last two weeks, The Greater Grand Forks
Community Theatre has produced the regional premiere of "Shaking the Dew
from the Lilies," much to the delight of the packed theatre. The play
revolves around five women from various walks of life, locked in a mall
restroom over night. Women, many "hunting widows," have been
wiping away tears of joy and maybe a few of sadness during the last eight
performances of this play that can definitely be called risqué. The men who
have attended have learned a few things about what women talk about behind
closed doors (bathroom doors, in this case). Harley McClain, a gentleman in
his sixties from In addition to all this merriment, the Canadian
playwright, Paddy Gillard-Bentley, will be flying in from Friday night the cast, which includes Sara Anderson
(UND undergrad), Adonica Schultz Aune (UND alumna), Skye Mauch
(UND undergrad), Nikki Quam (UND graduate student),
and Caitlin Lien, played to a standing room only crowd. Monologues were met
with spontaneous applause and a few gasps could be heard at key points in the
play. Following this Friday and Saturday performances,
the playwright and cast will visit with the audience during an informal
"talk back." Woven into the mix of humor, best characterized as
naughty, are some serious issues about friendship, betrayal, and sexuality.
The show is for mature audiences and includes strong sexual content. And if there aren't enough lilies on stage, the
director has invited local artists to create "response paintings"
during the show. Each artist sits in a corner of the audience working on a
painting that represents her/his impression of the play that night. So far
Martha Keifenheim, Phyllis Kaliokowski,
Elizabeth Lundee, Joan Mullen, and Marlene Stiles
have all created unique pieces which will be auctioned off during the
"Final Bloom - Painting the Lilies" in early December. Terry Berg, Pirjo Berg, Mary Haugland, Liz
Blazek, and Adam Kemp are also expected to participate (Date and time to be
announced). Meanwhile, the paintings are displayed in the lobby and photos of
the work will soon be available on Facebook (Shaking the Dew from the Lilies
page). Proceeds from the sale of the paintings will be split between the
artists and the Greater Grand Forks Community Theatre. So, if it's lilies you're looking for on this
chilly day, stop by the Fire Hall Thursday through Saturday night at 7:30,
(pre-show begins at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday). But better call for
reservations, 777-4090; the Fire Hall is one hot house this November. A portion of this weekend's ticket sales will go to
the -- Kathy Coudle-King,
interim director, Greater Grand Forks Community Theatre |
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Note – the
article that follows is a definite spoiler, and more of a discussion of the
characters. If you intend to see this
play in the future, please don’t read any further. |
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Shaking
the Dew From the Lilies Posted on Sue and I attended a local
production last night at the “Fire Hall Theater” entitled “Shaking
the Dew From the Lilies.” The
Fire Hall is an amateur community theater, sitting only two blocks from our
front doorstep, in the shadow of the “Shaking the Dew From the
Lilies” is a comedy written by Canadian playwright Paddy
Gillard-Bentley about five women stuck overnight in a mall’s public
restroom. There are plenty of cautions
in the advertisement and playbill that the topics and language are intended
for mature audiences only, and the performance proved worthy of these
warnings. The show isn’t for the
faint of heart or for anyone who might be offended by women talking openly
about their sexuality. If you are
easily embarrassed, you had best stay at home because every aspect of sex is
described in intimate detail during the two hours these women are on stage. The story examines the role
negative sexual experiences play in shaping the way women develop. There are references to the fact that men
too are molded by these types of events, but it is clearly the women who are
under the magnifying glass on this stage.
The five women are from widely varied social and economic groups, but
are drawn together by a common thread; that all women are sexual creatures
and share a desire to love and to be loved.
I felt that the overall message the playwright was trying to get
across was that all women (and men) are flawed, and therefore they also take
part in flawed relationships which negatively impact their lives. The way women overcome these bumps in life
is by sharing them with other women who can understand their feelings of pain
and rejection without being judgmental.
These confidants can be either friends or strangers, and they give
each other the strength to overcome the problems their flaws have
created. The dialog also mentions that
men deal with their flawed relationships in a similar way, but suggests that
men may not be as good at it as women are; a premise worth considering. My favorite character was Aja, played by Caitlin Lien. She was the pretty young woman that all the
men are instantly attracted to. There
is only one man in the world that she has ever loved, but was afraid to tell
him about her feelings. This man,
however, told her he thought of her only as a friend, which devastated the
poor girl. All this occurred in High
School, and Aja has been in many relationships since,
but has always ended them before the man could possibly end it first. Her mother always told her she wasn’t
good enough, something she has obviously come to believe is true, perhaps
because of the rejection by her one love.
The most erotic portion of the play, in my opinion, was when Aja recited her poem describing a certain sexual act she
had particularly enjoyed. Tami, played by Nicole Quam, was the crowd favorite and provided the majority of
the laughs during the play. Tami was
the most uneducated of the group, coming from blue collar roots which in turn
gave her a bit of a cynical outlook on life. She had grown up in a trailer with her
single mother, who eventually brought in a step-father to live with them. Tami viewed herself as quite “street
smart,” but proved to be perhaps the most vulnerable of the five. Her naïve comments and obvious enjoyment of
frequent sex left the audience in howling with laughter. Cynthia, played by Sara Anderson,
was, in my opinion, the most unlikeable character at
the onset of the play. She was rich,
fashionable, haughty, and intolerant of everyone, especially Tami. Cynthia shared stories of a privileged
upbringing, but they all centered around her cold,
self centered mother who ruled her life with an iron fist. The mother stories went from bad to worse,
which caused the others to begin warming up to this woman who was to be
married by arrangement in just a few weeks.
It was Cynthia, however, who was transformed the most during the
course of this story; becoming a warmer person as soon as she began to
realize that she was really the one in control of her life, not her mother. Susan, played by Skye Mauch, was the woman in the group who had the most
difficulty opening up to strangers.
Susan and Aja were the only two in the
restroom who knew each other, being lifelong friends, but as the story
developed, the audience became aware of serious problems between the
two. Susan complained about men always
being interested in beautiful Aja instead of her,
but while she initially admits that she had exploiting Aja’s
appeal to lure men her own way, she later lets slip that she is consumed with
jealousy and actually hates Aja. Susan has her own issues with her parents,
but while she describes how terrible they are, it becomes apparent that she
is the one who is truly loathsome; a spoiled brat who complains about
everything. By the end of the play,
Susan had alienated herself from everyone in the restroom, even Aja. I believe
this was done to confirm to the audience that the relationship between
friends can also be flawed and that perhaps any sympathetic ear can be enough
to heal an injured woman. Nichole, played by Dr. Adonica Schultz Aune, was the
instigator who kept the conversations moving and productive. She was the oldest and the wisest, and
seemed to care deeply for the other four. Nichole reveals early on that
she’s a lesbian, and while it surprises some in the group, it never
becomes a barrier to communication, perhaps due to her honesty and frankness. She was married young to a man and has an
adult daughter from the union, which has been over for a while; ever since
she decided to follow her true sexual self later in life. Many would think that this confused
sexuality would make her the most flawed character in the restroom, but it
becomes plain that she is indeed the least flawed. Nichole had a good relationship with her
mother, who always loved her unconditionally, and seems to be the only one at
peace with her life. Overall, I found “Shaking
the Dew From the Lilies” an entertaining and thought provoking
presentation. I was not offended by
the topics or language, but I imagine many people would be. I would recommend the play to anyone who
may enjoy a little naughty humor as well as to those who don’t mind
looking a little deeper inside in order to understand the factors that have
made them who they are. It may also be
interesting to any men who have ever wondered what women really talk about
when they go to the rest room! The
production will run through November 20th, with the playwright, Paddy Gillard
Bentley, being in attendance during the final weekend. |
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