Italian American Reconciliation
by John Patrick Shanley
Bravo Cucina
(1319 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica)
A production of The People's Theater
Date of reviewed performance: March 3, 2010
Cast
Aldo Scalicki - Elliot Schiff
Huey Maximilian Bonfigliano - Chad T. Wood
Teresa - Lori Stone
Aunt May - Amity Janow
Janice - Marisa Petroro
Throughout John Patrick Shanley's career, the award-winning writer has made his vision of urban romance a platform for many troubled and zany characters to patch up their love lives. Though there are some who think of Italian American Reconciliation as "Moonstruck"-lite, it has a soul and spirit all its own, summed up in the statement "a man's heart is difficult to know."
As lead characters we have two men, Huey (Chad T. Wood) and Aldo (Elliot Schiff), who are being tormented by Huey's ex-wife, Janice (Marisa Petroro). The play is presented as a folk tale, narrated by Aldo, who interacts with the audience as the show begins and then wraps things up at the end. The tale being told is of a scheme concocted by Huey (who's dressed like he wandered out of a Renaissance festival) to reconcile with Janice, despite her generally psychotic behavior. Still, he feels like a broken man who needs to right the wrongs of his marriage to become whole again. He drafts Aldo to go ahead of him and smooth the waters with Janice, but Aldo and Janice have a different sort of history that requires its own clarification. Aldo doesn't know it, but he too must make peace with Janice to have any hope of moving on with his life.
Elliot Schiff is charismatic and fun as the clever, chatty mama's boy. He has a touching moment in his scene with Janice, when the vulnerable little boy inside becomes very visible. Chad T. Wood does a nice job with the morose and desperate Huey, paralleling the character's changing attitude about life with his changing feelings on the "poet's" clothing.
While the story being told isn't so much "about" any of the female characters, they are integral because it is the women who define the men. Lori Stone is fantastic in her strong, animated take on Teresa. Marisa Petroro's performance as the villainous Janice oozes with venom all while she remains so striking it's easy to believe Huey would have second thoughts on staying gone. Amity Janow is lovely in the role of neighborhood confidante and counsel-giver. She has an interesting moment in a scene with Teresa when she drips olive oil on her hands and rubs it in as lotion, then reaches for Teresa's hands and rubs the oil on her skin as well. It seems bizarre at first, but it is a comforting gesture that reveals itself to be the one thing all of the characters crave most: an act of kindness.
Directed by Dana Koellner
Produced by Lori Stone
Light and Sound Support: Kevin Bertazzon
Dialect Coach: Kristine Lee Reiersgard
