The Gamm Theatre opens its 27th season, its 9th in the Pawtucket Amory Annex, with Circle Mirror Transformation, Annie Baker's 2007 multiple Obie-award winning play.
On the deserted island that is a tiny town in rural Vermont, a small group of people gather once a week at the local community center. They have joined an introduction to dramatic acting class which is led by Marty (Wendy Overly); who as head of the community center teaches any number of classes on a variety of subjects, every week.
Playwright Baker provides a sharply funny and engrossing look at motivation of this motley crew of would-be actors. What do each of them expect to gain in exchange for their money and time? Part acting class and part group therapy; these six weeks of breathing, movement and trust exercises peel away the public self of each member and provide a vehicle for Baker to authentically communicate history, tensions and expectations.
The shifts in each character are subtle - there is almost no plot. Director Rachel Walshe sets an unhurried pace, yet keeps the audience engaged - invested, actually - in what success looks like for each of the characters. Angst is not usually this compelling.
The production is beautifully cast. Wendy Overly and Jim O'Brien have a comfortable chemistry as long-married couple Marty and James. Karen Carpenter's Theresa is graceful, yet wounded. Normand Beauregard is positively magnetic as he embodies Schultz's brave attempt to move beyond a mid-life crisis. As Lauren, Amanda Ruggiero conveys an amazing restraint as her character journeys from indifferent youth to become Baker's existential prophet.
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Circle Mirror Transformation plays at the The Gamm Theatre through October 9, 2011. Tickets range from $34 to $42 and can be purchased by phone at 401-723-4266, at the Box Office, located at 172 Exchange St., Pawtucket, RI, or online at www.gammtheatre.org.
Photo: Wendy Overly Jim O'Brien, Amanda Ruggiero, Karen Carpenter and Normand Beauregard in Circle Mirror Transformation. Photo by Peter Goldberg; courtesy of The Gamm Theatre.
