NEW YORK—In George Kelly’s delicious comedy “The Fatal Weakness,” a long-married couple travels over the shoals of a well-worn matrimonial association. In an elegant living room (set by Vicki R. Davis), the attractive Mrs. Ollie Espenshade (Kristin Griffith) entertains family and friends.
A major visitor is Ollie’s close friend, Mrs. Mabel Wentz (Cynthia Darlow), a no-nonsense down-to-earth type who serves as an excellent foil to Mrs. Espenshade. There’s much light banter, but a hint of darkness filters through: Mrs. Espenshade has long suspected her husband, Paul, of infidelity.
Mabel, with the instincts of a fine bloodhound, sets about to do her own brand of investigation.
Meanwhile, Ollie’s daughter, Penny Hassett (Victoria Mack), visits her mother and complains about the state of her own marriage. Hubby Vernon lacks this, that, and the other. What comes across mostly is that she is simply bored. Also, she and Vernon have different ideas on how to raise their 3-year-old son.
Hovering about discreetly when needed is the Espenshades’s maid, Anna (Patricia Kilgarriff in a delicious Irish maid characterization), picking up things that have been scattered about without even being told. She’s obviously become like part of the family but discreetly so.
When master of the house Paul (Cliff Bemis) appears, Ollie is mildly glad to see him, while daughter Penny almost throws herself at him. Daddy can do no wrong. He, on the other hand, is warm and effusive to all—as if he hasn’t a care in the world, as if he’s the most loyal of husbands.
The last of the family to make an entrance is Penny’s hubby, Vernon (Sean Patrick Hopkins). Surprisingly, he appears to be extremely reasonable and in the right on matters concerning his marriage and bringing up his and Penny’s son.
Mrs. Espenshade soon brings up another matter, more important to herself. She senses Vernon knows more than he is initially letting on about her husband’s philandering and draws him out.
When Mabel later enters and cites chapter and verse about Paul’s activities—with an unattractive lady osteopath, no less—Ollie’s mind is made up: divorce, divorce, and divorce.
When Ollie later confronts Paul, he cops to his sins, but with a note of explanation to his wife that leaves her somewhat shaken.
The denouement is an almost comical turnabout, which I won’t give away.
Playwright Kelly, once described by Robert Benchley as an “apparently omniscient observer of American life,” does provide this play with an underlying seriousness, a sense of weight, relating to that most ordinary and yet special condition—marriage.
Kelly’s plays were extremely popular in the ‘20s and ’30s. The Mint Theater Company, which specializes in producing theatrical gems of the past, offered George Kelly’s “Philip Goes Forth” in 2013.
Directorially here, Jesse Marchese has done a marvelous job, moving the play along briskly and striking a period sense of style, but one that is yet meaningful to a current audience.
Some directors maintain that the right casting is 90 percent of the job. That seems the case here.
Each of the actors conveys the right note: Kristin Griffith offers restrained elegance; Cynthia Darlow is funny and vivid; Victoria Mack is a daddy’s girl through and through; Ms. Kilgarriff a right-on Irish maid; Sean Patrick Hopkins a serious husband; and Cliff Bemis a hail-fellow-well-met who fesses up when caught.
The set’s mirrored walls convey an elegant backdrop, while costumes by Andrea Varga are the frosting on the cake. They are simply beautiful. The women’s shoes are eye-catching—and oh, the women’s stocking seams of yesteryear! And yes, they are always straight.
A wonderful production.
The Fatal Weakness
The Mint Theater
311 W. 43rd St.
Tickets: 866-811-4111 or minttheater.org
Running Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Closes: Oct. 26
Diana Barth publishes New Millennium, an arts publication. For information: [email protected].
