The Marriage of Bette and Boo

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THE MARRIAGE OF BETTE AND BOO

Photo: Joan Marcus

Summary
Back in 1985 when Christopher Durang’s "The Marriage of Bette and
Boo" first debuted examining family angst in this off-beat style was
simply received as theatre of the absurd. Nowadays, it’s taken for
granted that weird irony melds into life’s daily tasks. An
unflinching taste for the macabre, and humor born out of other’s
pain, is commonplace. Such is the environment that introduces "The
Marriage of Bette and Boo", now in revival at the Roundabout, to a
whole new audience.

With it’s taut family dynamics and Barbie-doll cutouts the characters
seem as if they jumped off the top of a wedding cake and sprang to
life in the guise of cruel and ineffectual alcoholics and other
severely disturbed adults. Presented in thirty-three scenes, seen
through the eyes of Matt, the sole surviving son in a family where
his mother suffers multiple still-born births, this semi-
autobiographical work examines the issues of handing down dysfunction
through the generations and the isolation that occurs even when
surrounded by those with good intentions.

This production, directed by Walter Bobbie, plays with the fine-tuned
pitch of a classical sonata. Christopher Evan Welch is Boo, the groom
seen through his son’s eyes during over twenty years of growing
discontent. He’s aptly disengaged and only aware of his surroundings
when faced with divorce. Kate Jennings Grant, as Bette, is singularly
focused on making babies despite having a blood type at odds with
that of her husband. Grant is a polished jewel easily balancing on
the edge of sanity. Victoria Clark, as her mother, is equally
impressive oozing out venomous statements with a cheery disposition.
Julie Hagerty nails the harried and hapless wife suffering the slings
and arrows of disparaging remarks heaped upon her by an outrageous
husband, Boo’s father, played with pristine wickedness by John
Glover. Terry Beaver, in dual roles as a priest and a doctor,
actually dons the visage of bacon frying and does so successfully.

The remaining cast adds to the nutty atmosphere. Donald Holder’s
crisp lighting and David Korins’ sliding-paneled set help support
disturbing edges. There’s plenty here to squirm in your seat about -
not the least of which are the still-borns lightly tossed away like
so many of these family problems. The creepy underpinnings of
Durang’s narrative chips away at socially acceptable behaviors -
including laughing at this play - and although this production serves
it up with style, "The Marriage of Bette and Boo" is the epitome of
black humor.
By Lesley Alexander


Visit the Site
http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/pels/index.htm

Cast
Terry Beaver, Heather Burns, Victoria Clark, John Glover, Julie Hagerty, Kate Jennings Grant, Adam Lefevre, Zoe Lister-Jones, Charles Socarides, Christopher Evan Welch

Open/Close Dates
Opening 6/13/2008
Closing 9/7/2008

Box Office
212-719-1300

Theatre Info
Laura Pels Theatre
111 West 46th Street
New York, NY 10036
Map



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