VIEWPOINTS – Four tough broads: Michelle Dooley Mahon’s THE SCOURGE & Richard Maxwell’s QUEENS ROW

Over the last week, I caught two productions that featured women toughing out exceedingly difficult situations. One involves the true story of a woman who all but dedicates her life to the care of her mother who is battling Alzheimer’s. The other features a fictitious trio of women who have literally survived the apocalypse.

Michelle Dooley Mahon in the Wexford Arts Centre's production of "The Scourge" at the Irish Repertory Theatre. Photo by Carol Rosegg.

Michelle Dooley Mahon in the Wexford Arts Centre’s production of “The Scourge” at the Irish Repertory Theatre. Photo by Carol Rosegg.

As part of the 2020 Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival, the Irish Repertory Theatre is playing host to the Wexford Arts Centre’s production of The Scourge (RECOMMENDED). Written and performed by Michelle Dooley Mahon, the solo show depicts Ms. Mahon’s first hand experience caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s. Although I had some issues with director Ben Barnes’s fussy staging (e.g., the overuse of props, etc.), it’s the imagery-rich writing that ultimately saves the day. Each line of the play packs a powerful emotional and literary punch, and they collectively weave a tapestry depicting a woman of unstinting bravery in the face of her worst fears. The Scourge is also a raw but moving tribute to Ms. Mahon’s mother and her less than ideal life. It’s not always a pretty picture, but it’s a worthwhile ride and an authentic preview of what’s likely in store for most of us. Ms. Mahon isn’t the most naturally-gifted performer, but she more than makes up for her deficiencies as an actress with a no-nonsense persona that isn’t very hard to get behind.

Soraya Nabipour in the New York City Players' production of "Queens Row" by Richard Maxwell at the Kitchen.

Soraya Nabipour in the New York City Players’ production of “Queens Row” by Richard Maxwell at the Kitchen.

Then we have the experiences of three generations of women — in chronological order, Naz, Antonia, and Soraya — in a post-apocalyptic America, as filtered through Richard Maxwell and his New York City Players‘ quietly engrossing play Queens Row (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). Mr. Maxwell is one of the most distinctive theater artists working in the avant-garde theater world today, and his unmistakably dispassionate approach to playwriting is once again on display in his latest. The New York premiere production at the Kitchen is haunting, even when Mr. Maxwell’s writing becomes opaque. Indeed, each of the three vaguely-related monologues become increasingly dissonant with each passing generation. Queens Row is both an unsettling reminder of the fragility of human civilization, as well as our astonishing capacity to adapt to traumatic situations. Mr. Maxwell also directs, and his laser-focused staging and the performances he elicits from his three actresses are unnerving in their steady, unswervingly empty gaze.

 

THE SCOURGE
Off-Broadway, Play
Wexford Arts Center / Irish Repertory Theatre
1 hour, 25 minutes (without an intermission)
Through February 2

QUEENS ROW
Off-Broadway, Play
New York City Players / The Kitchen
1 hour (without an intermission)
Closed

 

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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