Lyric Arts in Anoka is bringing us another regional premiere, this time the 2018 British play
Home, I'm Darling. It's about a couple living the traditional '50s lifestyle in the modern era, seemingly happy, but it's really just a pretty facade hiding two unhappy people. It seems like the '50s model of living wasn't so great after all. With the recent popularity of the "trad wife" trend, it's a great time to examine this topic. Can you really be a feminist if you meet your husband at the door at 5:15 with a cocktail and slippers, after spending the day "cleaning behind things" and preparing dinner? Maybe, if it's your choice and that's truly what makes everyone the happiest. But maybe not so much for our characters, so they search for a middle ground that works for them. With a fantastic six-person cast and darling '50s design, Lyric's production of
Home, I'm Darling is a deliciously entertaining comedy, with substance (
continuing through June 21).
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Johnny (Kyler Chase) and Judy (Kendra Mueller)
(photo by Molly Jay) |
We begin on a typical morning, with Judy serving Johnny his toast, eggs,
and tea, just like he likes them. In her perfect '50s dress and apron, she sends him out the door and off to work, then pulls out a laptop, reminding us we're not actually in the '50s anymore. Through discussions with her friend Fran and her mom Sylvia, we learn that Judy has always been obsessed with the '50s aesthetic. And even though she has more education and earned a higher salary than Johnny, she quit the job that she hated three years ago so she could stay home to cook and clean and take care of her husband (although she recoils at the idea of having children, something I wish were explored more). The cracks begin to show when Johnny doesn't get the promotion he's been hoping for, and finds out that Judy, who also manages the household finances, has been hiding the fact that they're running out of money to support this lifestyle. This forces them to admit their true feelings about this three-year experiment, and find a better way to do things that allows them to be who they really are instead of just playing roles. But still maintaining the parts of the '50s that work for them, like the pretty clothes and mod home decor.
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Fran (Siri Hellerman), Sylvia (Patti Hynes-McCarthy),
and Judy (Kendra Mueller, photo by Molly Jay) |
Scott Ford directs the play with the heightened feeling of a '50s sitcom, until characters start to show more and more of their real selves. Even the scene transitions are darling, as cast members dance across the stage to fun period music arranging the set for the next scene (choreography by James Grace). After a star turn in Artistry's excellent two-hander rom com
Love and Baseball last summer, Kendra Mueller makes her Lyric Arts debut as Judy, and she's an absolute delight. She perfectly plays the part of the perfect '50s housewife, and slowly start to show us what's underneath. She's well matched in Lyric Arts regular Kyler Chase as Johnny, the proper British husband, eventually revealing the struggle with balancing the '50s home life and work days in the modern world (Judy is upset to learn he entered the new shopping mall and ate the non-'50s appropriate food of pizza). The strong supporting cast includes Patti Hynes-McCarthy as Judy's mom Syliva, Izzy Maxwell as Johhny's new boss Alex (she's a woman?!), and Siri Hellerman and Charlie Morgan as their couple friends who dabble in the '50s but aren't quite there. And they all speak in charming British accents, which makes everything more fun (dialect coach Gillian C. Rosewell).
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| Johnny and Judy's '50s home (photo by Molly Jay) |
Achieving an authentic '50s aesthetic is a big part of this play, and the design team has done a fabulous job of it, every inch of the set a detailed recreation of our idealized version of the '50s. One of the characters comments that "it's like
Mad Men," but it also reminds me of every mid-Century sitcom I watched growing up. A detailed kitchen, complete with vintage appliances, furniture, dishes, and storage containers, sits on one side of the stage, a living room with a low couch and fully stocked bar cart on the other, separated by a kitchen counter with a little bifold screen that can be opened or closed.
Brady Bunch stairs lead up to the bedroom upstairs, the bed covered in a blue chenille bedspread. Judy wears an endless array of '50s style dresses, often changing right on stage during those graceful scene transitions. (Costume design by Sarah Christenson, lighting design by Lucas Granholm, sound design by Laura Felde, props design by Ren Edson.)
Home, I'm Darling is a smart and funny play, about a couple trying to honor the traditions they love, while still living in the modern world. This regional premiere is perfectly cast, crisply directed, and gorgeously designed. And for the icing on the cake, pay attention to the last song used in the play, the only one with vocals, and you may recognize local actor/singer/songwriter Leslie Vincent.
