Winner of the Molière award for France’s best play, The Father, by Florian Zeller and directed by Wilbury Theatre’s Artistic Director Josh Short, flirts with the cruel nature of time while exploring the limits of patience. Shrewdly told with humor and empathy that treats audiences to a heart-wrenching glimpse into despair from the loss of self, it’s not all gloom and doom. While heartbreaking at times, there are many comedic moments that make us smile in the face of dementia.
As Wilbury tells it, André, now 80 years old, was once a tap dancer. He lives with his daughter, Anne, and her husband, Antoine. Or was André an engineer, whose daughter Anne lives in London with her new lover, Pierre? The thing is, he is still wearing his pajamas, and he can’t find his watch. He is starting to wonder if he’s losing control— but accuses others of just that! Anyone who has cared for a loved one with Alzheimer’s will surely relate. As the confusion sets in, you follow the wave of befuddlement to the end.
Portraying the lead character is Richard Donelly, who is no stranger to the stage as well as TV/film. Donelly delivers up a lovable character who is also capable of shocking us at times. You can’t help but feel empathetic toward him as he questions reality, while simultaneously directing sympathy toward his daughter, Anne, adeptly portrayed by Jeanine Kane. Also a veteran of many Rhode Island stages, Kane reminds us what it means to be human in the wake of challenging duty. The love is there, as is the hurt and frustration.
Says Short, “This play has been a gift to work on, and we are so fortunate to have the great Richard Donelly and this amazing cast and creative team come together and bring this touching and complex story to our audiences. When Richard shared the script with me, I was struck by the play’s use of theatre as a medium to present a unique point of view about a universal experience. This is a moving story about how relationships between children and their parents change as they grow older, and what we hold on to the tightest once everything else starts to fade away.”
Short goes on to say, “As artists working in the theater, so much of our focus throughout the rehearsal process is on ensuring that we are communicating a story to our audiences with as much clarity as possible. With The Father, our challenge is to abandon this practice, and make peace with the intentional confusion and disorientation the play calls for. During the rehearsal process, we challenged ourselves to see the story through André’s lens, even if it was fragmented, out of order, and blurred the lines between truth and fantasy. Throughout this process, I’ve been consistently reminded of how fortunate we are to be among such talented and creative minds in this amazing artistic community. We’ve been able to explore these daunting themes with grace and curiosity, and it’s been a privilege to bring this haunting, poignant play to our stage.”
Marvin Novogrodski, who portrays Pierre, adds another perspective. “Acting is about solving a puzzle. The pieces include discovering intentions, mixing in movement, hitting your mark, allowing emotions to unfold, playing off the other characters, accessing your vulnerability. It’s a tall order, and The Wilbury Group is a fun place to put it all together. I’m grateful to be part of it.”
Scenic Design by Monica Shinn includes an open floor with various doors leading to exits and other rooms, doubling as the entryway to another dimension of the mind. Sound and light design by Andy Russ is subtle but telling. Lights dim as characters exit, and become bright as action escalates. Heartbeats and other rhythms can be heard during powerful moments.
Wilbury presents The Father through February 9. Run time is 90 minutes. For more information, visit https://thewilburygroup.org/.
