Between the “Buffalo Billion,” the Canalside
project, and a Katie Couric-hosted video series for Yahoo! News kicking off its
first episode in the Queen City, Buffalo has been making a sort of
post-industrial comeback over the last few years. But Buffalo native and
renowned playwright Tom Dudzick isn’t writing about
the future (at least, not yet). His works — most notably the comedic “Over the
Tavern” trilogy — focus on the blue-collar descendants of immigrants who raised
families, worked, lived, and died in the city.
Last weekend
one such play, “Miracle on South Division Street,” opened at Geva Theatre Center. It premiered in 2009 at the Penguin
Repertory Theatre in Stony Point, New York, and ran off-Broadway in 2012 before
moving to regional theaters to tour.
The
fictional story is based on a real life account of Dudzick’s
barber, who claimed the Virgin Mary appeared to him one day in his shop and
thus erected a 17-foot-tall statue in the neighborhood. In the play, the barber
is the deceased patriarch of the Nowak family, and a deathbed confession
reveals the statue’s origins to be a bit more complicated than his
grandchildren and daughter ever suspected. The play uses a seemingly simple
plot, but packs several hilarious twists that keep the audience’s attention for
the entire 100-minute run.
Pamela Hunt
(“Radio Gals” and “Five Guys Named Moe” at Geva)
directs a four-person cast with finesse, blending every day actions like
slicing fruit and cheese with duel-like staging around the Formica kitchen
table. The matriarch of the story (and daughter to the barber), Clara, is
played by Toni Di Buono, who also appeared in last
season’s “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” as Sonia. Di Buono
replaced another actor last minute in the role, but it’s hard to imagine anyone
else as the warm, nagging, and kindhearted character. She’s splendidly witty
and convincing as the Catholic mother who’s tragically mourning her grown
children’s departures from the Church.
Her grown
daughter, Ruth (Laura Gragtmans), is the most
reticent to the family religion, as she’s busy pursuing a theatrical career and
writing a book about the family’s statue. Her eyes are set on New York City,
where Clara sarcastically remarks the younger generation migrates as they “give
up” on Buffalo. (The play is set in 2010, right before the Nickel City began to
rebound.) Gragtmans captures the grace and anxiety of
an adult child who desperately wants to please her mother and keep the family
together while also pursuing her dreams. Ruth’s brother, Jimmy (Colin Ryan),
and sister, Beverly (Katharine McLeod), have no plans to leave the city, since
they both have local jobs on a garbage truck and in a bottling factory,
respectively. Ryan plays the smartass, charming younger brother who’s also a
bit of a mama’s boy, while McLeod is the beautiful — yet aging — older sister
who can’t keep a committed relationship afloat. The four portray a very
believable family — led by Di Buono — and the
constant energy and banter is particularly impressive.
The scenic
design by Bill Clarke is brilliant. The set is primarily the kitchen of a
rundown house on South Division Street, located on Buffalo’s east side (and
where Dudzick actually spent his childhood). With its
running water, padded teal chairs and ancient appliances, the kitchen is so
realistic that Polish folks might think they smell Golumpkis
baking in the oven. Amanda Doherty’s costume designs are expertly tailored to
each character, revealing nuanced details about their history and lifestyle.
The lighting by Derek Madonia captures the wilting
sunshine of an early autumn day in Western New York, and the warm glow of dusty
light fixtures in the house. Sound designer Dan Roach sets the tone with
pre-show and intermission sets of lively polka tunes.
In his
biography, Dudzick is described as “one of the few
playwrights who makes a living at it,” and after seeing one of his shows, the
high success rate is obvious. He writes for the audience he grew up with. With
its Babka (a sweet bread) and Hail Mary references,
the lines in “Miracle” are a transcription of every Polish-American Catholic
household from the 1930’s to present day. It’s touching, heartfelt — and
blessedly entertaining.
This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2016.
