I’m obligated to begin with a disclaimer: I was not originally expecting to write a review of this show, and I arrived at the theater clearly predestined to enjoy myself for a variety of reasons. I have a number of good friends in the cast and company and I always delight in seeing their work. I’ve served on the producing company’s Board of Directors. Finally, I have a pronounced weakness for self-referential theater, plays within plays, plays about the theater or about theater people, etc. So if you’re inclined to doubt my objectivity, be my guest.
That said, this play is just plain fun for anyone who’s been an aficionado of the theater or taken an interest in its lore. The Royal Family is about the fictional Cavendish family, a thinly-disguised and loving parody of the Barrymores as they stood in the mid 1920s -- the height of their fame and success on American stages and screens. The play begins in a chaos of ringing phones and doorbells, deliveries of flowers and packages, comings and goings of servants and fencing instructors and so on. Ah, to be a stage actor in the days when that was the height of celebrity!
The characters, though far from being caricatures, are all recognizable “types:” the Great Lady of an earlier stage era, now the family matriarch; her daughter, the leading lady of the age; her granddaughter, the ingenue; her son, the dashing matinee idol of stage AND screen; and so on. The plot, centering on the ingenue’s decision to leave the theater to marry a young stockbroker (with a parallel story about her mother and the return of a long-lost lover, now a very rich man), is a springboard for lofty rhetoric about how acting is in the blood and thank God, because there’s no thrill like it, and so on. All of this is delivered with conviction and love, especially by the sublime and perfect Lynn Rathbone as Fanny Cavendish, the matriarch. The play as a whole may not be profound, but it does have something to say, and by way of these characters, it is a way of spending time with old friends (in my own case, that’s more literal, as noted in my disclaimer).
The cast is strong throughout. In addition to Lynn Rathbone, there are notable performances from Liz Hopefl, who takes stage and convinces us that she’s the top actress in New York (think Ethel Barrymore); Joshua Thomas as Anthony Cavendish (think John Barrymore), whose flamboyant energy is high but always controlled; and Katie McGee as Gwen Cavendish, whose innocence in the role of the ingenue is endearing. KDHX Performing Arts Producer Chuck Lavazzi has a nice turn as the pompous and self-inflated actor-playwright in the extended family. But the entire cast does excellent work, including some who bring a high level of commitment to rather unglamorous roles. They are Michele Dodson, Gold Wise, Tim Grumich, FM88 Performing Arts critic Laura Kyro, David Cooperstein, Barry Hyatt, Joshua Thomas, Colin Nichols, Chris Jent, Bob Nickles, and Topsy Baskerville.
Direction, by FM88 theater critic Steve Callahan, keeps the pace brisk while never so hurried that any detail is lost. The set, designed by Tim Peortner, is attractive and solid -- we can really hear those doors slam. Costumes, by Teresa Doggett, make everybody more fun to look at. Routine technical matters (sound and lighting cues) are done seamlessly. The play is a full three acts with two intermissions, so plan any after-theater activities accordingly.
The Royal Family continues at ACT, Inc in the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre at Big Bend and Wydown through June 26th. For more information, you may call 725-9108 or visit www.actinc.biz.
