Anyone who has heard the line, “Always listen to your mother!” or any of its variations (and that would be just about anybody) is likely to appreciate the humour of “Old Wives’ Tales”. This tribute to mothers and daughters portrays the interactions of one mother and daughter in vignettes spread out over several years and moving though a far-ranging gamut of emotions. |
As the play opens, Mom offers an opening dose of old wives’ tales, sayings, and words of wisdom. When her near-hysteric bride Daughter bursts upon the stage, exclaiming “I think I want to call off the wedding” just as the ceremony is about to begin, mom can foresee trouble ahead. The audience quickly learns that Mom's capacity to advise, cajole, threaten and even manipulate in order to ward off impending disaster, is pretty much boundless.
The dialogue continues at a brisk pace as mom and daughter cover a multitude of themes – daughters who will adamantly deny any similiarity to their mothers but reveal the opposite; use of reverse psychology; desperation over the heartache of a loved one; staying married; secrets to a happy marriage; generational differences (and similarities).
In each of the three settings the rapid-fire dialogue between mother and daughter is counter-balanced by a male character (priest, waiter and lawyer) who grounds the scene and adds hilarity and another perspective. All three of the men are played by Mike Petersen with admirable versatility and perfect comedic timing.
Sarah Machin Gale and Madeleine Donahue interact convincingly together as the strong-willed mother and daughter, delivering correspondingly strong, heart-felt and compelling performances.
The dialogue continues at a brisk pace as mom and daughter cover a multitude of themes – daughters who will adamantly deny any similiarity to their mothers but reveal the opposite; use of reverse psychology; desperation over the heartache of a loved one; staying married; secrets to a happy marriage; generational differences (and similarities).
In each of the three settings the rapid-fire dialogue between mother and daughter is counter-balanced by a male character (priest, waiter and lawyer) who grounds the scene and adds hilarity and another perspective. All three of the men are played by Mike Petersen with admirable versatility and perfect comedic timing.
Sarah Machin Gale and Madeleine Donahue interact convincingly together as the strong-willed mother and daughter, delivering correspondingly strong, heart-felt and compelling performances.
“Old Wives’ Tales is filled with humour, and one scene in particular contains enough hilarity on its own to be worth the price of admission.
The set is a streamlined and a perfect back-drop to highlight the interaction of characters which is central to the play. It is directed by long term PSFT company member Matthew Gorman – you may have enjoyed his performances in “Having Hope at Home”, “Mending Fences”, “Mini Putt”, or “Stag and Doe”.
“Old Wives’ Tales” is likely to ring true for anyone who has had any experience with mother-daughter relationships, and most especially for “old wives” in the audience. Even if they have never delivered any advice quite like that offered by the mom in this play, they are likely to recall at least some bizarre words of wisdom that have come out of their mouths in their own attempts to steer their daughters toward happiness or clear of impending grief.
“Old Wives Tales” was written by Kevin Riordan. It continues until August 1st at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre. Find more information at http://www.portstanleytheatre.ca/.
The set is a streamlined and a perfect back-drop to highlight the interaction of characters which is central to the play. It is directed by long term PSFT company member Matthew Gorman – you may have enjoyed his performances in “Having Hope at Home”, “Mending Fences”, “Mini Putt”, or “Stag and Doe”.
“Old Wives’ Tales” is likely to ring true for anyone who has had any experience with mother-daughter relationships, and most especially for “old wives” in the audience. Even if they have never delivered any advice quite like that offered by the mom in this play, they are likely to recall at least some bizarre words of wisdom that have come out of their mouths in their own attempts to steer their daughters toward happiness or clear of impending grief.
“Old Wives Tales” was written by Kevin Riordan. It continues until August 1st at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre. Find more information at http://www.portstanleytheatre.ca/.