from
Metroland...
Revisiting Romance By
Kathy Ceceri Curtain Call’s
production of this minor masterpiece leaves
nothing to be desired. Wilson originally wrote
Talley’s Folly as a showpiece for Circle
Rep regular Judd Hirsch, and he uses Matt
to show us the contingent of eccentric friends,
neighbors and relatives every Southern writer
must possess. At Curtain Call, Howie Schaffer
as Matt gives a full-throttle performance
that is just as rich and versatile as Hirsch’s
was, while Kathleen Carey as Sally is cool
and wry. Both look and feel just right for
their parts, and the evocative design—including
the suggestion of a boathouse by Malachi Martin,
sepia-toned costumes by Janet Womachka, and
lighting and sound by John E. Miller and Lori
A. Barringer, respectively—makes the
most of Curtain Call’s intimate space.
Director Steve Fletcher pulls these elements
together to create a series of tableaux that
play out like memories projected on a screen:
the bearded but nattily dressed European Jew,
contrasted with the blonde with a patrician’s
profile in a cream-colored dress, against
a backdrop of lattice and rushes and an old
canoe. There’s
no doubt something meaningful is taking place
here amid all the banter, and for the 97 minutes
Matt promises us it will take, we’re
happy to put ourselves in the hands of these
capable artists and enjoy.
