The Wayside Motor Inn
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Cititour.com Review
The characters who pass through The Wayside Motor Inn, the decidedly middle-class Boston-area motel that serves as both setting and title for A.R. Gurney’s 1977 play, may not be as glamorous as a dashing baron or a regal ballerina. But what they lack in grandeur, they make up in humanity. And in Lila Neugebauer’s well-conceived revival at the Pershing Square Signature Center, these 10 troubled souls are guaranteed to provoke a little laughter, a few tears, and loads of empathy.
The play’s conceit is a bit tricky at first, since one large hotel room (well designed by Andrew Lieberman) stands in for all the rooms at the Inn, and the characters often occupy the same space simultaneously – even though they’re meant to be in different rooms. But once you catch on to Gurney’s gimmick, you almost forget it as you get caught up in stories of the various occupants, such as the long-married Frank (the excellent Jon DeVries), whose heart seems ready to stop any second, and his flighty yet loving wife Jessie (the very fine Lizbeth Mackay), or Vince (the superb Marc Kudisch), a slightly overbearing dad who is hell-bent on his son Mark (a convincing Will Pullen) going to Harvard, while the anxiety-ridden boy wants to delay his admission to college.
While the recently separated Andy (the ever-reliable Kelly AuCoin) and Ruth (a believable Rebecca Henderson), whose initial civility disintegrates leaving hostility and confusion in its wake, are a bit of a cliché, their unfortunate situation still has a distinct resonance. Even the sleazy married sales guy Ray (Quincy Dunn-Baker), initially little more than a cipher, eventually engages our interest after flirting with Sharon (a hilarious Jenn Lyon), the conspiracy-loving hotel waitress who proves to be smarter than she seems. The only pair who never lit my fire, metaphorically speaking, were the college-aged lovers Phil (David McElwee, who bares it all) and Sally (Ismendia Mendes), but their story may spark younger theatergoers’ interest.
Kate Voyce’s period-perfect costumes, from Ray’s patterned polyester shirt to Sharon’s flared jeans, add a delicious authenticity to the production, while also providing a bit of nostalgia for those of us who lived through the era. But most importantly, the characters’ dilemmas remain timeless. Change the clothes and bedspreads, and it could be 2014 at the Wayside Motor Inn.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
http://www.signaturetheatre.org/tickets/production.aspx?pid=3756
Cast
Kelly AuCoin, Jon DeVries, Quincy Dunn-Baker, Rebecca Henderson, Marc Kudisch, Jenn Lyon, Lizbeth Mackay, David McElwee, Ismenia Mendes, Will Pullen
Open/Close Dates
Opening 8/12/2014
Closing 10/5/2014
Box Office
212-244-7529
Theatre Info
Pershing Square Signature Center
480 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
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