Marrying George Clooney….Hot Flashes and Heartbreak
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
by Stephen Kreal
On Friday, September 4th, I went to see the opening night performance of “Marrying George Clooney: CONFESSIONS FROM A MIDLIFE CRISIS,” a sharp-witted play written by award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and activist Amy Ferris, and adapted from her best-selling memoir, at Haddonfield Plays and Players. This production was part of special programming at HPP, which has produced female-centric plays for several years now.
The stage adaptation (adapted from Amy Ferris’s memoir) had its world premiere in April 2012 presented by the CAP21 Theater Company, off-Broadway in New York City. That production was directed by Frank Ventura.
The production is directed by Tami Funkhouser, with Al Fuchs serving as Artistic Director. The cast features Jenn Colleluori, Susan Dewey, and Olivia Calatozzo (with voice-over provided by Robert Collelouri). This production is part of the special programming series featuring women. The performance is presented without intermission.
The simple set consisted of a living room, slightly downstage center. It featured a love seat, two chairs, an area rug, and end tables. There were books and such on the tables, giving it an authentic feel. Upstage right and left were raised platforms with a chair and an end table to accommodate the supporting cast. The simple, tasteful set was constructed by A.J. Klein. Stage manager credit is given to Nicole Plasket and Perry Award-winning Dawn Zaleski.
Upon entering the theater, the soundtrack consisted of female singer-songwriter selections. “Queen of Hearts”, “Chucky’s In Love”, “You’re So Vain”, and “Angel of the Morning” (Juice Newton version) were playing. These songs provided a great atmosphere.
Lighting Design is credited to Eric Baker. Lighting was very effectively used to highlight whenever the supporting cast was speaking. There were some “mood shifts” in lighting, as the main character was speaking.
This production also included very clever use of projections, credited to Justin Walsh. These projections were impressive and greatly enhanced the production by providing important context, almost acting as a kind of narrator. Audio/Visual Support was provided by Ryan McCauliffe.
The cast consists of three women. The characters (as far as I could discern) are not given names. Perhaps this is to convey the universality of the menopausal experience. The main character is played by Jenn Colleluori. Colleluori is active on the local community theater circuit, having appeared very recently in “Guys & Dolls” (Village Playbox) and “Noises Off” (also at HPP). I saw both of these productions, and Colleluori is an excellent cast, as this massive role requires a highly experienced and talented stage actor.
Colleluori’s character is a middle-aged, menopausal woman, awake late at night, after her mother calls her to tell her something fabulously unimportant. Colleluori is front and center the entire time. I am impressed with the staggering number of lines they had to learn (and master) for this lead role. The lines were consistently delivered with fluidity, hilarity at times, and emotion at others. Costuming was pajamas (there is no listed costumer credit in the physical program), as they are awake in the middle of the night, “Googling” former boyfriends, among other things. The script has many lighthearted, comedic moments, delivered with impeccable comedic timing. These are interspersed with more serious themes throughout (more on that later).
The supporting cast consists of the highly talented and experienced Susan Dewey. I have seen (and thoroughly enjoyed) Dewey perform on many occasions. Dewey is one the most natural, “organic” performers I have ever seen. Dewey is always so prepared and “real”. Dewey plays the mother of the main character, and does an amazing job at portraying a woman in early stage dementia. While there is nothing funny about dementia, Dewey provides laughs with her daftness. This character was seated in a rocking chair wearing a bathrobe while speaking on a land line, which greatly enhanced the authenticity of the character. I appreciated the attention to detail (I also appreciated the physical programs!).
The other supporting role is played by Olivia Colatazzo. The exact nature of the relationship is not made clear. My interpretation of this character is that they are friends. They share a light-hearted text exchange and commiserate about their mutual experiences. Colatazzo is relaxed in their pajamas, and provides texture and nuance to the overall tone of the play.
This play is more of a portrait than a narrative, a “look-in” at the lives of these women. As mentioned, there is a good balance between truly humorous moments and sadness. One minor critique was the subplot of the mother having dementia. I feel that more anguish could have been incorporated, within the confines of the script. One other minor critique was the blocking. This one is a bit trickier. The nature of the script does not really provide much to work with. To the credit of the director and Colleluori, they did move around in a limited way, switching positions on the love seat, alternating with standing up. These are small critiques to be sure.
Lastly, I would like to address the accessibility of the material. While some might mistakenly think that the play may be difficult for men to appreciate, as it is female-centric, that is simply not the case. There are many other themes that are relatable. The play has many laughs and is well-acted and well-directed.
The production is a one-weekend-only run. I highly recommend this production. It is entertaining and poignant. “Marrying George Clooney: CONFESSIONS FROM A MIDLIFE CRISIS” runs through Sunday September 6th. Tickets can be purchased here:
