Stage Review - Outside Mullingar (Bainbridge Performing Arts / Circle of Fire Theatre)

Stage Review - Outside Mullingar
Presented By: Bainbridge Performing Arts / Circle of Fire Theatre - Bainbridge Island, WA
Show Run: November 14 - November 17, 2024
Date Reviewed: Thursday, November 14, 2024 (Opening Night)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman

When I interviewed actors Molly Hall and Jason Gingold a few weeks ago, what we mostly discussed was their upcoming play Outside Mullingar, the 2014 play by John Patrick Shanley, which they were scheduled to debut as part of Bainbridge Performing Arts’ brand new Studio Series in a co-production with Circle of Fire Theatre, the brand new endeavor from Molly, Jason, and the incomparable Ken Michels. We talked about the ten year journey that it took the play to get from the couple’s attention to the stage, as well as a number of other topics. Well, ten years of patience and hard work has finally come to fruition as their production of Outside Mullingar, directed by Cindy Giese French, premiered in the BPA Cynthia Sears Studio last night for its brief, one weekend, five performance, and already sold out run, kicking off both the Studio Series and the legacy of Circle of Fire Theatre in the most memorable way possible.

The Studio Series, as we discussed in our interview, is the organization’s way to bring more intimate plays to the Bainbridge theatre community, to complement their main stage programming, which is categorized by larger scale shows, big plays, and bigger musicals. It also gives smaller theatre groups, like Circle of Fire, the opportunity to leverage the resources and infrastructure that is unique to BPA on the island and on the peninsula, so that those groups can focus on content and performance. Outside Mullingar feels like the perfect play to kick off the series. The play, set in Midlands of Ireland, centers on two neighboring farmers, Anthony Reilly and Rosemary Muldoon. The play begins immediately after the funeral of Rosemary’s father, which leaves her with just her mother Aoife, while Anthony, after the death of his own mother, has been living with father Tony. The two families gather at the Reilly house after the funeral, well at least three of them, Rosemary staying outside to have a smoke, which is evidently what she does quite often, and have a conversation not just about the deceased, but about the future of the farms, both of the surviving parents realizing their time on earth isn’t unlimited. The line of succession on the Muldoon side of the property line seems to be a forgone conclusion, but on the Reilly side, it’s not so clear, as the audience learns not just from the banter between father Tony and son Anthony, but also from a conversation between the two family elders after Anthony exits the room. To say the relationship between the Reilly men is complicated is an understatement, it most definitely seems one sided, with father delivering barb after barb to son, each funnier than the last, that cutting Irish sense of humor on full display, but when the digs start to question his son’s ability, or even his willingness, to take care of the farm after Tony passes, that’s when the conversation turns, and it’s apparent from Anthony’s reaction that this has been something going on for quite awhile, and that each cut has left an emotional scar, that part of the conversation being what prompts Anthony to head outside to search for the younger Muldoon, Rosemary. Thankfully, Anthony has a champion in Rosemary, though he doesn’t know it. It’s clear that she has feelings for him, though whether it’s reciprocated or not is up for debate. He’s a little like his father, though, and has trouble expressing his true feelings, whether it’s pride or fear that is the reason for it. The relationship between Rosemary and her mother Aoife is more civil than that of the Reilly boys, and while they’re both mourning the loss of their family’s patriarch, or maybe because of it, their patience with Tony’s treatment of his son is thin, not to mention that because of a transaction between Tony and Rosemary’s father years ago, the right of way on to the Reilly property is actually owned by the Muldoon’s, so what Tony can do with the farm, at the end of the day, really isn’t up to him.

This intimate story is about relationships, between father and son, mother and daughter, husband and wife, and between neighbors. It’s about how loss and loneliness can affect how we live the rest of our lives, or how fear or pride can prevent us from doing so to the extent that would allow us to derive the enjoyment from it that we deserve. As the play progresses, the audience learns what makes up these characters, why Tony treats Anthony the way that he does and why Anthony largely stands by and lets him, why Aoife and Rosemary stand up for Anthony as they do, and the events and relationships that have brought them to the moments they are watching on stage. I like how the play is constructed, where it’s set, and how time progresses throughout. Act 1 takes place over three years, with another three between the end of Act 1 and Act 2. This provides time to let the characters grow, and to show not just the immediate impact of life events on them, but the longer term effects. The longer that fear prevents one from taking action, the more impactful it is, and the same goes for patience.

And as a show about relationships, and one that presents the joy of life, the sadness of death, humor, despair, hope, and hopelessness, Outside Mullingar needs a cast of good actors to make it stand out, and that’s exactly what Cindy Giese French has assembled, and not just good actors, exemplary actors, a group of four that in any other play could steal the show, and each do at various times in this production, but here come together to make something that is truly spectacular. One of the things that I spoke to Molly and Jason about in our interview was working on stage together as a family, as husband and wife. I asked them how many times they had been on stage together, and if I recall the number was wall above 20, so it makes sense that on stage they would have a certain degree of chemistry. I’ve seen them each act separately, and they’re each good at exhibiting chemistry with their costars in other productions, but when it’s natural, as it is between this pair, there’s nothing like it. Whether it’s a look, a glance, a motion, or some other small movement, they have an unspoken communication that the audience understands, and more importantly they understand. Their scenes together are fun to watch, they’re funny, they’re intense and intimate, and they’re passionate. It’s a treat to watch them act together on stage in these roles. In their individual portrayals, they are both excellent. Molly as Rosemary is strong and self-assured, though at the same time resigned and lonely. I enjoy watching layered characters, when an actor can present one thing on the surface while carrying something else just below. Molly is fantastic at doing that in this role. She’s Anthony’s one defender and his guiding light, whether he wants it, or believes it, or not. And Jason’s Anthony carries so much pain with him, from the loss of his mother, to the constant berating from his father, or the uncertainty of his future and the farm, his pain has made him clearly afraid, and socially awkward. That much is clear in his interactions with Molly’s Rosemary, but in those with his father, Jason’s Anthony wants to stand up to Tony, but can’t work up the gumption to do it, there’s too much fear. There are few actors who can embody a character like Jason can, and to watch him play Anthony is to watch him become the character. He plays the role with his entire body, from his nervous hands, to the slight upturn in the corner of his mouth, to his eyes, he physically transforms into his characters like few others I’ve seen. He’s also part of what is hands down the most touching scene, and the best acted scene in the play. Bill Johns plays father Tony Reilly, and in the middle scene of Act 1, when his character’s health is failing, Tony opens up to his son in a way he never had before. This scene is sweet, heart wrenching, and emotional. It’s by far one of the best acted scenes of the season, from both Bill and Jason, and it’s sure to bring out quite a few tissues over the coming weekend. While this scene may be the emotional pinnacle of Outside Mullingar, it’s not the only charged scene. There are quite a few, and they run the gamut of the emotional spectrum. Outside of this scene, Bill is excellent as the grumpy old Irishman, funny in his delivery, and cranky in his personality, that is until this particular scene. Rounding out the cast is Judith Shahn as Aoife, the elder Muldoon, Rosemary’s mother. As Aoife, Judith doesn’t have as much stage time as the other three, but she’s exceedingly strong in this role, in support of her daughter and as one of Anthony’s strongest defenders. Her Aoife does well to keep Tony honest in only the way that she can, and much of that strength comes from the way Judith portrays her. One other thing to note here about the acting is in the area of accents. Credit to both dialect coach Marianna DeFazio and this cast for their Irish accents, strong and consistent throughout the play, regardless of the emotional intensity of any scene. There are times when accents can break in an especially emotional scene, but this group is on top of their performances for the entire show.

As the inaugural show in BPA’s Studio Series, there’s not a huge track record from which to pull to determine the best way to design a set, much less lights and sound, for the space in the Cynthia Sears Studio. Needless to say, then, that there is a lot riding on Cindy Giese French as director, and as the scenic designer, lighting and sound designer Eli Backer, props mistress Karyn Rondeau, as well as stage manager Charlie Gingold, to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Thankfully, this creative team has experience working in spaces that are similar in size to this space, or smaller, and with varying degrees of maturity in their infrastructure, so they’re all able to bring their individual experience to bear, and it’s evident that they do that have that experience, because for this space, the design elements of Outside Mullingar are all done very well. As an intimate story, with two primary locations, the interior of the Reilly house (which becomes the Muldoon house in Act 2) and the Reilly Manger, Cindy was able to set both locations on the riser in the studio with decent separation without making either feel cramped, and Eli’s lighting does the rest, focusing on whichever side of the stage that she needs to. Her lighting also provides context and mood for some of the more emotional scenes, specifically that one between father and son I mentioned above. A scene that remarkable is made even better with softer lighting and Eli has dialed up exactly the right amount of radiance for that particular piece. On the props side, it’s easy in a small space to make an area feel overly cluttered, especially when you’re trying to present a degree of messiness. Karyn seems to understand that balance, with a pizza box under Tony’s chair and a few items strewn about the kitchen giving the idea of a messy house without the stage feeling cluttered. In an emotional play such as this one is, the creative elements can provide that level of realism that really makes it special. The lighting is one example of this, and another is Aidan Stevens’ costuming. Aidan’s costume work here is rife with realism. When Anthony and Rosemary are outdoors, they’re wearing outerwear that is something one would believe would be worn in rainy and cold Ireland. They all largely wear layers, which also makes sense, and something we can relate to here in the PNW. This doesn’t even take into consideration the classy black mourning wear worn by the Muldoons at the beginning of the play.

Outside Mullingar has a lot riding on it. Not only is it the first production from Circle of Fire Theatre, but it’s also the inaugural event in the new Studio Series at Bainbridge Performing Arts. Thankfully, this intimate play about family, love, loss, loneliness, hope, and forgiveness, has a small but superb cast under the direction of someone who knows how to get the best out of a cast of any size and knows how to produce a show with enough energy and emotion to exceed the space in which it’s being presented. With some of the best performances of the season, this is a show that is sure to leave an indelible mark on anyone who has the opportunity to see it. The only downside is, that with such a short run, too many are going to miss out on experiencing the wonder that is Outside Mullingar.

The short run of Outside Mullingar, a co-production between Bainbridge Performing Arts and Circle of Fire Theatre, and the inaugural production in BPA’s Studio Series, is already sold out, but if you’d like more information on the Studio Series or BPA’s next mainstage show, Anastasia, head out to https://www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org/.

Photo credit: Matt Longmire