'Family Secrets'
n Getting Straight, a wonder- ropractor. She is now a Califor-
ful novel, the central charac- nia lady — she and Mort relo-
ter's dotty English mother cated from the East — and, in
improves on the great Mexican her description of how mania set-
dish of chicken mole, made with tled in after that disastrous din-
velvety, bitter chocolate, by mak- ner of woebegone lasagna, is the
ing it with Cadbury's. Fruit and most apt and touching of the
Nut, I seem to remember. So, too, character studies. Elsewhere,
one of the mothers in Family Se- Merson is fine as the embattled
crets, the comedy at Jewish En- Mort, who refuses to accept his
semble Theatre, makes a daughter Fern's wish to be called
lasagna. With bleu cheese. When Kohari or her dancing with her
the kids refuse to eat it, she has woman lover, Molly, at Mort and
a breakdown and is hospitalized Bev's renewal of marital vows.
In the last leg of the play, Mer-
for manic depression. Maybe
son plays teen-ager Sondra back-
there's a connection?
The connection between food to-back with 70ish Rose, and it's
preparation and madness is not a neat package of impersonation.
Sondra flounces around her
explored in Family Se-
bedroom complaining
crets. The rituals of Jew-
THEATER
about washing dishes be-
ish schtick, though, are,
fore they go into the dish-
as Susan Merson inter-
prets not one but five members washer, and Rose, sitting legs
of the Fisher family: Rose, the apart, discourses on new love
maternal progenitor; Mort, her with Milton, and farting.
Merson has a splendid time
son, and his wife, Bev; and both
with these disparate but similar
characters, and watching her
having a splendid time is the best
trick in this tricky confection.
Her director, Greg Howells,
the co-author, mostly leaves her
alone and lets her get on with it,
providing simple, effective block-
ing. This is matched by effective
lighting by Mark Berg and ex-
cellent prop and costume design
by Melinda Pacha.
The play itself— a shallow ex-
ploration of parenthood and fem-
ininity — breaks no new ground.
Rather, it tills already well-plant-
ed soil— the adolescent girl who
wants a boy and feels she needs
to be thin to attract one; the New
Native Detroiter Susan Merson plays
Age
woman who gives birth, de-
five different roles in the one-woman
riding
those who would eschew
show Family Secrets, at the Jewish
drugs and love the pain; even the
Ensemble Theatre through Jan. 12.
parent who resents a child's
of their two female offspring, lifestyle but relents because of
Fern and Sondra. An accurate spousal pressure.
Been there, done that. And the
diagnosis would be that play-
wrights Sherry Glazer and Greg constant calling up of Jewish
Howells are suffering from mul- stereotypes, asking us to laugh
because we're just like that, is a
tiple personality disorder.
Merson, a native Detroiter, bit pushy. After all, Jews are con-
does not change from character to cert pianists, drunks, lefties and
character as in some monologist's senators as well as narrow-mind-
dream; no, she becomes, in turn, ed accountants, hapless teens or
each, shedding and then donning bipolar California moms with
wigs and costumes, stored just up- therapists and dogs in need of re-
stage in half light but full view. hab.
Still, even cliches can be fun-
While doing this, she sings in a
pleasant, piping soprano as she ny, and I laughed a couple of
cleverly eases us, and herself, into dozen times (though the birthing
section would have been better if
the next character.
"Ga lie down," Bev says to it were a "C" section and over
Brandi, her dog, whom she has sooner). A solid performance,
just brought back from his chi- some easy laughs, an hour and a
half. You could do worse.
.
I 4®
Michael H. Margolin writes about
cS.
the arts.
— Michael H. Margolin
I
8
'The Crucible'
PG-13
W
ritten for the screen by
Arthur Miller and based
on his 1953 play about
the Salem witch trials,
The Crucible shows what hap-
pens when paranoia and mass
hysteria overpower rational
thought and logic.
Miller's inspiration was the
1950s Red Scare, a modern-day
witch hunt where, due to mass
paranoia, many people (includ-
ing Miller himself) were wrong-
ly accused of Communist
involvement. These people were
ing bewitched their innocent Putnam (Jeffrey Jones) is a
minds.
rather self-important, almost
The town's religious people are sinister man, and it would be
so frightened of witches, they be- nice to know if he ever gets his
lieve the accusations and, almost due. The quiet yet fiercely in-
without question, jail everyone tense Reverend Hale (stunning-
the group names.
ly played by Rob
Realizing their plan has
Campbell) makes an
MOVIES
worked better than antic-
almost regal first ap-
ipated, the group of women,
pearance, and it seems
led by Abigail Williams (Winona as if he will be one of the most
Ryder), starts accusing everyone important and interesting play-
they dislike of being witches, in- ers. Unfortunately, he is almost
cluding the wife (Joan Allen) of nonexistent until a few final
John Proctor (Daniel Day- scenes.
Lewis).
Even with these problems,
Abigail has been infatuated The Crucible is a fascinating,
Bruce Davison as Reverend Parris becomes embroiled in Abigail Williams' (Winona Ryder, right) plans for revenge in The
Crucible.
ostracized, shunned and black-
listed from jobs unless they "con-
fessed" and named other
"Communists."
In The Crucible, troubles be-
gin in late-17th-century Salem,
Mass., when a group of young
women sneak off to dance
around half-naked and to con-
sume potions that cause men to
fall in love with them. Unfortu-
nately, they are caught and ac-
cused of witchcraft — a crime
punishable by death. To avoid
this severe penalty, they false-
ly accuse other townsfolk of hav-
Jeremy Parnes graduated in
1996 from Eastern Michigan
University with a degree in
journalism. He is a member of
DAFT.
with Proctor since a brief affair tense movie which shows that
earlier that year. But regretful while there are no real witches,
of his infidelity, Proctor and his there is definitely witchcraft.
wife are desperately trying to What else can explain why so
save their marriage. The fallible many people, down through the
yet brave Proctor must now find centuries and even today, con-
a way to prove the women are ly- tinue to persecute the innocent?
ing before his wife is hung.
Despite its powerful story, The
1/2
Crucible suffers from a lack of
delivery. Academy Award-win-
— Jeremy Parnes
ner Day-Lewis is great, but, as
Proctor, he basically recreates
his Last of the Mohicans char-
acter. Ryder is unimpressive as
Abigail. She acts slightly more
Outstanding
animated than a "Melrose Place"
villain, and her character is de-
Very Good
veloped almost as much.
Sadly, some of the more in-
Good
teresting minor characters are
Fair
not featured enough. Thomas ®
1
Bagel Barometer
®
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