A Bundle of Joy

Cry It Out – Northlight Theatre

 

Molly Smith Metzler, a mother herself, wrote this cathartic, somewhat autobiographical play based on her own personal experiences. The characters talk about the realities of first-time parenting, including the isolation, the lack of sleep, the sore breasts and the welcome entertainment to be found in simply visiting the convenience store or the library preschool story hour. The playwright has described her one-act as being similar to a choral piece played by a chamber orchestra in which the voices of the four characters speak individually, yet also beautifully harmonize to create one sensitive and satisfying story about 21st century motherhood. The title refers to the controversial practice of, instead of picking the child up whenever he cries and rocking him, just letting the baby him cry himself to sleep.

When she was pregnant, Ms. Metzler and her husband relocated from Manhattan to Port Washington, a small Long Island community near the ocean. What first appeared to be a quaint little beach town became a lonely, forsaken confinement for Molly, particularly after her daughter Cora was born. In Ms. Metzler’s play, Jessie is very much the same person. She also feels trapped and alone in her duplex house where, day after day, she only has her baby Allison for companionship. She hasn’t made any friends and is desperate for some adult conversation. Nate, Jessie’s husband, works in the city and, although a good husband and father, he can’t quite relate to his wife’s needs and feelings. Jessie would really like to be a stay-at-home mother, rather than returning to the law firm, where she’s spent the last nine years as a successful attorney, but she’s reluctant to tell her husband.

By chance, Jessie finds Lina, another mother of a newborn, at the local Shop-and-Go. She also discovers that, conveniently, Lina lives within only steps of her backyard. She decides to invite her new friend over for coffee and some cathartic conversation. Their coffee dates turn into a regular event, giving each new mother something special to look forward to every day. Lina lives with her boyfriend and his mother, a woman addicted to boxed wine. Lina’s reluctantly counting down the days when she must return to work in the hospital administration department.

 Mitchell, one of Jessie and Lina’s more affluent neighbors, spots the two women having coffee in Jessie’s yard and cautiously approaches her with an idea. He asks if they’d consider inviting Adrienne, his wife and the mother of his own new daughter, to join their coffee clutch. Mitchell thinks that Adrienne hasn’t quite developed her maternal instincts yet and could benefit from some quality time visiting with other new mothers. Jessie understands and empathizes with Mitchell’s situation and extends an invite, but Lina’s more guarded and a bit jealous of sharing her friendship with a total stranger. The kind of woman these two young mothers discover Adrienne to be, however, is far more surprising than they expected.

The writer of such plays as “Elemeno Pea” and “The May Queen,” Los Angeles-based Molly Smith Metzler’s new work was presented last year as part of the Humana Festival of New American Plays, at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. This Chicago production, staged by guest director Jessica Fisch, offers an authentic, sensitive, often humorous female point-of-view of motherhood. As the two women share stories about their newborns, listen to each other’s maternal woes and offer advice for making this most important time of their lives richer and more meaningful, Fisch makes the story more intimate, bringing it into the lap of her audience. Staged on Andrew Boyce’s hyperrealistic backyard setting, complete with the backdoor entryway of Jessie’s house, a grassy yard and a garden patio, we feel like we’re in an actual suburban community. The production’s made even more authentic through Paul Tobin’s natural lighting and Kevin O’Donnell’s evocative sound design, particularly his delightful pre-show symphony of children’s songs.

Northlight Theatre is known for its excellent casting, and this show is no exception. In the leading role of Jessie, Darci Nalepa, a familiar face at Jefferson Park’s Gift Theatre, is stunning. This natural actress truly convinces the audience that she’s a new mother facing all the jitters and insecurities we’d expect. Ms. Nalepa’s affable, empathetic personality makes her a sweet, but a feisty, strong and winning leading lady in this tale of parenting. As Lina, spunky Laura Lapidus brings the same spunk and moxie that she’s brilliantly displayed in other Chicago productions, such as Theater Wit’s “Bad Jews.” An educated, working mother, such as Lina, needs to be tough; and Ms. Lapidus is every bit up to that task. She brings earthy humor and hardihood to this role. Although we never see either the new baby, her boyfriend or his mother, the actress paints such a vivid portrait of each that we feel we know them.

As the male half of the prosperous parents from next door, Gabriel Ruiz, so excellent in Steppenwolf’s “Rembrandt” and “You Got Older,” is unfeigned and fervently enthusiastic as Mitchell. His scenes with Jessie make you feel the deep concern for his wife’s situation, while showing us a man who is trying hard, but can’t quite manage, to understand or relate to the demands and problems of motherhood. The terrific Kristina Valada-Viars, a tower of Puritanical tenacity as Elizabeth Proctor in Steppenwolf’s “The Crucible,” is magnificent as Adrienne. This career-obsessed character, who appears to not have a maternal bone in her body, surprises theatergoers with her impassioned, 11th hour monologue in which she sets everyone straight about the kind of mother she’s actually become. Glued to her iPad and cell phone, we mistakenly think she’s a coldhearted creature who’s undeserving of such a kind, considerate husband as Mitchell.

In today’s world, overshadowed by lying government representatives and disappointing political power plays and payoffs, it’s refreshing to focus on a play featuring more domestic issues. Motherhood hasn’t always been given a fair shake, especially when we hear about cuts in maternity benefits and early childhood education. We also tend to think that, while a man can get up, go to work and come home to his wife and baby, the woman’s role should be a no-brainer. She’s carried the child for nine months, has given birth and then, especially nowadays, heads right back to work. Any quality time spent between mother and child is deemed as the lazy, comfortable way out for a woman. Most husbands feel that their wives ought to return to the workforce as quickly as possible. Molly Smith Metzler’s thought-provoking play, with it’s many comic moments, sheds new light on this whole situation and the result is a bouncing, bundle of joy.

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas    

     

Presented May 10-June 17 by Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL.

Tickets are available at the box office, by calling 847-673-6300 or by going to www.northlight.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.