Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In the breezily absurd FALL RIVER FISHING, Bedlam strays a bit too far away from the classics

• By drediman
• March 6, 2023
• No Comments

Jessica Chastain isn’t the only Nora Helmer in town. Down at the Connelly Theater – far from the bright lights of Broadway – the folks at Bedlam have also, at least in part, tapped into A Doll’s House to fuel its latest Off-Broadway offering Fall River Fishing, a breezily absurdist dark comedy by Zuzanna Szadkowski and Deb Knox.

Over the years, Bedlam has made a name for itself for its quirky yet intelligent interpretations of classic plays. Although clearly inspired by A Doll’s House, Szadkowski and Knox’s new play finds the theater company straying farther from the classics than it ever has – alas, to wildly mixed results. Indeed, the play also channels the bloody real life stories of Lizzie Borden (an American woman accused of the axe murders of her father and stepmother) and Sharon Tate (a film actress who was murdered by the Manson Family at the tender age of 26). The whole thing calls to mind Greek tragedy’s never-ending cycle of violence, but told through a distinctly American lens. However, despite the thematic connections between the stories of of Lizzie Borden, Nora Helmer, and Sharon Tate, the haphazardly-written play ultimately fails to amount to much aside from giving the cast a fun actorly exercise.

Although I have mixed feelings about the end result, that doesn’t mean that the play is devoid of merit. As directed by Bedlam artistic director Eric Tucker, Fall River Fishing is never less than amusing and kept me guessing – if confounded – every step of the way. Also, the acting by the ensemble cast of five (Jamie Smithson, Susannah Millonzi, Tony Torn, in addition to writers Knox and Szadkowski) is quintessential Bedlam – smart, collaborative, and malleable.

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

FALL RIVER FISHING
Off-Broadway, Play
Bedlam at the Connelly Theater
2 hours, 20 minutes (with one intermission)
Through March 9