Written and Directed
by Michael Griffith
Presented by
Path2Productions
Q Theatre, Queanbeyan
to 17 February
Reviewed by Len Power
14 February 2018
Faced with a choice between placing an ageing, helpless
parent in a nursing home or helping them to end their suffering, what would you
do?
In ‘The Magnolia Tree’, three siblings meet at their
mother’s home to decide her future. Suffering
with Alzheimer’s, their mother needs constant care. The cost of expensive nursing home care will
mean that none of the children will see any of the long hoped-for inheritance
money that could turn their lives around.
The son, Jack, offers a seemingly undetectable plan of painless death as
an alternative.
After hearing the discussion of the pros and cons of this
family’s situation, the audience is given an opportunity to vote on a choice of
action. The play then concludes with the
audience’s choice of the two possible endings.
What should have been a compelling drama was a
disappointment. The issues a family have
to face in a situation like this are highlighted, but the dramatic effect is
weakened as personal revelations about each of the characters in Michael
Griffith’s script play like a TV soap opera.
It’s also not helped by the static direction by the
author. For much of the play, the cast
deliver their lines directly to the audience rather than to each other. Maybe this was a deliberate choice by the
director to increase audience involvement but it didn’t work.
The three cast members, Ezra Bix as Jack, Rohana Hayes as
Deborah and Ruth Katerelos as Vicky, seemed ill at ease and
under-rehearsed. There were too many awkward
line readings, emotions seemed to be forced and there was a lack of light and
shade in delivery as well as a slow pace.
The ending of the play, following the opening night
audience’s vote, proved to be anti-climactic.
Maybe the other ending has more going for it.
The idea behind Michael Griffith’s play is a good one but this
current script and production don’t provide the emotional intensity and
involvement that it should.
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7’s ‘On Stage’ program on Mondays from
3.30pm and on ‘Artcetera’ from 9.00am on Saturdays.
