Word: martha
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Becky Stone and Jenny Cornuelle as Karen and Martha turn in disappointingly wooden performances, livened by occasional flashes of emotion which suggest these actresses have untapped potential. Stone generally sleepwalks through her part, but she does convey authority and kindness when talking with the children, especially the terrorized Rosalie (Alice Brown--in the best performance of all the children...
Hellman's play depicts the plight of two schoolteachers, Martha Dobie (Jenny Cornuelle) and Karen Wright (Becky Stone), whose school for girls is threatened by the spitefulness of a spoiled, self-centered child who defies the women's sincere efforts to understand her resentment. When the child, Mary Tilford (Patrice Dabrowski), receives a just punishment for a series of rule infractions, she fabricates a tale that the schoolteachers are lesbians, convincing her grandmother (Cynthis Weinrich) to withdraw her and the other girls from the school. The teachers countersuit for slander fails, in part because Martha's aunt (Amy Aquino) refuses...
...major characters, Amy Aquino as the theatrical, selfish Lily Mortar stands out, delivering a credible performance in one of the less skillfully written parts in the show. Although she starts out overly shrill and theatrical, Aquino emanates deliberate maliciousness in the pivotal scene with Martha, and her sharp jabbing at her embroidery all the while is a nice touch. Aquino even manages to avoid looking ridiculous in the last scene, where she must indulge in hysterics over Martha's death. Gerber would have done well to cut that last scene, for it drags on and on while recriminations...
...actors, however mechanically they drone their lines, pick up on cues and set the swift pace essential for building and maintaining tension. Gerber displays a deft hand for creating effective stage pictures. When Mary extorts the gossip from her schoolmates that she will use to tar Karen and Martha, Gerber places her high above them on a ladder, smiling evilly down on the hapless girls. Again, during the scene of Mary's accusation, Gerber stands the teachers just outside the room, their faces shadowed by elaborate lattice doors...
...toward repetitious speech rhythms and oddly placed emphasis. Because she is so unconvicing in her original fight with her aunt and with Karen's fiance, her intensity in the climactic confession scene with Karen jolts one into surprised attention. Subtly shifting her volume at key moments, she effectively conveys Martha's inner struggle while dropping most of the distracting gestures and grimaces she has employed elsewhere...