Written by Lee Blessing
Directed by P. J. Slighting
Starring:
Emily Griffin as Echo
Karen Logan as Dorothea
Enzie Fleming as Artie
Most plays can't boast that they increase your word power while keeping you highly entertained, but Eleemosynary does just that (besides you learn how to pronounce " eleemosynary," too). Sensitive and probing, this masterful play (it means "charitable") examines the subtle and often perilous relationship between three remarkable women; a young girl, her mother, and her grandmother. I happen to have one of each (mother, daughter, granddaughter), so I really identified with the whole concept. In the spirit of "Ya Ya Sisterhood," this show, written by a man, speaks to all women. Lee Blessing is perhaps best known for his Tony winning play "A Walk in the Woods."
The play probes into the delicate relationship of three women: the grandmother, Dorothea, who has sought to assert her independence through strong-willed eccentricity; her brilliant daughter, Artie (Artemis), who has fled the stifling domination of her mother; and Artie’s daughter, Echo, a child of exceptional intellect–and sensitivity–whom Artie has abandoned to an upbringing by Dorothea. As the play begins, Dorothea has suffered a stroke, and while Echo has reestablished contact with her mother, it is only through extended telephone conversations, during which real issues are skirted and their talk is mostly about the precocious Echo’s single-minded domination of a national spelling contest.
This show has received several awards and is very well-written. Some of my favorite quotes while the three women try to sort out their relationships include:
This play's stark set and minimal props are a shock at first. However, once you get into the show, you realize that the words and emotions are what is important and "the trimmings" of traditional plays would only hinder the impact of the message. The three actresses in the show each have an important role to play to carry this show off and, I might say, they meet the challenge very well. All three deliver stunning performances and I would not be surprised if several nominations were not received at Wings Award time!
Seventeen-year-old Emily Griffin as Echo, shines during the spelling contest, putting a face to how desperate, emotional and ugly the competitive spirit can be and how much this single moment in time means to her. Karen Logan as Dorothea embraces her role and delivers the message of the love/hate/envy triangle of many mother/daughter relationships. Eccentric never looked so good...or real. This is not an over-the-top performance. Enzie Fleming rounds out the ensemble as Artie, caught in the middle and just trying to escape her mother's smothering and be her own person.
The most amazing thing about this play is that a man wrote it and knew so much about how women think and interact!
How this play got to The Renaissance Theatre is a story in itself. Emily Griffin studied the play in Washington, DC and fell in love with the challenges it presented to an actor. After talking to Logan and Fleming, whom she had worked with before, she approached Bob Baker of The Renaissance Theatre about their idea. Griffin also chose P.J. Slighting as her Director (and he in turn got Terri King to be Assistant Director) and several of her friends for tech work. So Eleemosynary is truly a group effort with a handpicked cream-of-the-crop cast and crew. For a remarkable experience in theatre, don't miss Eleemosynary!
Eleemosynary Photos
Production dates:
June 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26 at 8 p.m.
June 20 and 27 at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are $14
Renaissance Theatre at Lincoln Center
1216B Meridian Street, Huntsville, Alabama 35801
256-536-3434 | 256-536-3117
