Despite a threatening snowstorm, theatergoers braved opening night Jan. 23 at the Allstate Community Theater to see the Fredericksburg Theatre Ensemble’s production of “How to Transcend A Happy Marriage.”
IF YOU GO
How To Transcend A Happy Marriage by Fredericksburg Theatre Ensemble continues Jan. 30 thru Feb. 1 at Allstate Community Theater, tickets (18+ only) $21.49-$26.59.
Written by Sarah Ruhl, the comedy tackles the subjects of polygamy and queerness by following two middle-aged couples, George (short for Georgia), played by Adrienne Daly, and Paul (Andy Braden) and their friends Jane (Kylie Clark) and Michael (Doy Demsick), into a world they know very little about but find intriguing.
The group invites Pip (Kaye Buell), a coworker of Jane’s, and her throuple partners, David (Liam Thompson) and Freddie (Matthew Wolski) over one night.
The audience Friday night responded with raucous laughter at the repartee among the group as they try to make sense of this new concept in their lives and the awkwardness in questioning the trio about their lifestyles.
Daly’s performance as George elicits memories of Lucille Ball in her line delivery and physical reactions to the proceedings. Buell’s portrayal of Pip conveys that of a young woman who is confident in her beliefs but also fragile when confronted with a situation later on in the play.
While the play is mostly focused on these two characters, the rest of the cast is given plenty of time and space to give the parts comedic bite and nuance as they come to terms with an unfamiliar territory.
Not to be outdone, Becky Brassfield’s turn as Jenna, Jane and Michael’s daughter who exhibits the type of outrage and confusion a child would have when walking into a compromising position involving their parents.
The ensemble’s artistic director Allyson Dodson McCormick said the play was chosen because of how it fit into the entire season’s overarching themes of reality, reverie and revolution.
“How To Transcend a Happy Marriage” was chosen from among 60 plays due to its themes of human connection and how love can transcend romantic relationships, McCormick said.
“There’s a lot of self-discovery happening in this play. Our main character George, she has a little bit of a queer awakening. She rediscovers what it means to be George minus all the responsibilities of being a mother and a wife.”
Co-directors Collette Riddle and Ava Spencer jumped at the chance to work on the production due to their admiration of Ruhl’s works and to their personal connection to the subject material.
“Cori and I both identify as queer and it was interesting to see a show that had such strong female characters. There’s also middle-aged characters which bring up body positivity,” said Spencer. “It was really interesting to see this kind of writing on the subject of polyamory and we’re really excited about it.”
Riddle said another aspect of working with Spencer on the production was that they represent two different generations, her being the more senior while Spencer being the younger of the duo. She added that the show is about much more than just polyamory but could also open doors leading to a better understanding of the concept.
“What you think of when you hear that this show is about polyamory, take that and dissect it and figure out why you’re thinking that. Watch the show and then come back to it, I think it’s going to open a lot of eyes,” Riddle said.
Actor Roy Demsick said he hopes people will take the show’s message with them.
“Love is unconventional. We shouldn’t judge one person’s love over the other. That we can find it from a monogamous relationship to friends with benefits to romantic relationships. There isn’t a set rubric that we all have to abide by.”
