If NextStop's Fallen Angels were on Broadway, the show would last for weeks and weeks because theatergoers would demand it. One can only hope these "angels" fly longer than intended in Herndon.
I had a "presentiment" I would like it. Expectations, exceeded.
It's charming, it's fun, it's a delight.
Two married women lament their passionless marriages (five years) and dream about the one-time lover they both shared (at different times) before they got married.
Maurice!
While their husbands (John Strange and James Finley who treat their wives like pets) take off on a golfing trip, Julia (Teresa Spencer) and Jane (Elizabeth Anne Jernigan) spend an evening together, drinking and eating and drinking (mostly) reminiscing about their long lost lover who has written he is coming to town.
As the evening wears on, the ladies gradually get sloshed and wind up crawling on the floor and over and on each other.
They talk, they sigh, and they dream about Maurice and what was, and what they hope to be!
The more she drinks, the longer and more drawn out are Julia's words which complement her demeanor and attitude, thanks to the artistry of Director Abigail Fine and Ms. Spencer, who also serves as dialect coach.
Julia and Jane interlock arms and with their hands, the two become entangled like long vines spreading across the stage.
Sliding from a chair onto the floor with her arms and legs intertwined, Julia is a circus act worthy of Houdini.
At one point last Saturday night, the top of one of the liquor bottles fell impromptu to the floor and while the ladies looked for it from their seats at the dining table, Saunders, the maid (Lorraine Magee), never missed a beat or a moment to scoot under and around the table, hunting the lost top.
Meanwhile, above her, the actors almost lost it which the audience certainly did.
The time is 1925 when playwright, Sir Noël Coward (1899-1973)
wrote Angels (soon to celebrate its centennial!). Since he never married and his homosexuality was not publicly revealed until after his death, how did Mr. Coward know so much about married women?
Angels' costuming by Moyenda Kulemeka and the setting by Emily Lotz are quite fitting, darling, for the era and presentation of residents of an upper-class London flat.
The rich are different from you and me.
An elegant chandelier flanked by two lantern lights on the walls hangs center stage near a velvety Victorian settee. On the side stands a baby grand piano which adds to the mood and refinement.
When the ladies' talk turns more romantic as they recall the past, lighting director, James Morrison, dims the lights to a soft hue which quickly change and brighten when life interrupts.
The phone rings.
Someone knocks on the door.
Maurice? Is that you? Please come in! Please come!
Is he a figment of their imaginations? A miracle mirage whom these dreamy travelers believe they see in their desert of life?
Will you come, my Prince in Shining Armour, my darling, and rescue me from my boring existence?
Suspense builds.
Reid May, sound director, effectively makes noisy, unseen vehicles stop on the street outside the curtained window where the women quickly rush to see who it is.
It could be Maurice getting out of a car! Maybe? Perhaps?
Meanwhile, females in the audience silently plead for Maurice to show and give a glimmer of hope that Prince Charming does indeed exist.
The transitions from sophisticated ladies to tanked trollops match increasing audience laughter, a tribute not only to the fine acting by Ms. Spencer and Ms. Jernigan but to Ms. Fine's marvelous directing which keeps the actors in constant motion.
What a delight to attend theatre and have a good time. To not be depressed about the "state of things" like many contemporary playwrights leave us.
Going to the theatre is a bit like going on a blind date: You are not sure of what he looks like nor how charming he may be until you get there and a few moments pass. Vulgar language, grey sets, and harsh scripts leave me depressed and downfallen.
Not a good date, not like the good time I had with Fallen Angels.
The 1925 British censor unenthusiastically let the script pass to the stage, convinced there was no such thing as upperclass women who engaged in premarital sex, let alone, God forbid, thoughts about it while wed!
Not so in Amsterdam where the censors knew better and banned the show after a few performances.
In her program notes, Ms. Fine writes that this may be the first production of Fallen Angels in the Washington area.
Also in the cast is Robert Pike.
Other creative team members are: Hollyann Bucci, assistant director; Alex Wade, properties; Claire Turner, Cathy Reider, Suzy Alden, scenic painters; Nicholas J Goodman, stage manager; Hollyann Bucci, Marilyn Lopes, Kate York, assistant stage managers; and Jonathan Abolins, electrician
What: Fallen Angels
When: Thursday through Saturday nights at 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Through April 7, 2019
Where: NextStop Theatre Company, 269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon, VA 20170 in the back right corner of Sunset Business Park, near the intersection of Spring Street/Sunset Hills Road. Right off the Fairfax County Parkway. Lots of great restaurants nearby.
Lighted, free parking: Available near the door.
Admission: General admission tickets start at $35. Buy online or through the box office at 866-811-4111.
Duration: About two hours with one intermission
Rating: G
For more information: 703-481-5930 or info@nextstoptheatre.org
patricialesli@gmail.com
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