Some of the Most Poisonous People Come Disguised as Family, the title of a book by Summer Reign, could also serve as a perfect subtitle for Bruce Bonafede’s new play, Ellie, now being produced by Desert Ensemble Theatre.
The two-person production stars Richard Marlow (for whom the play was apparently written) and Abe Daniels. Warren (Daniels) has just lost his wife, Ellie, in a car accident. Warren was at the wheel on a dark, rainy night when he failed to navigate a curve in the road, and the vehicle plunged into water. Ellie was killed, and Warren was severely injured, with four broken ribs and a broken arm.
The play opens with excellent sound effects: We hear a car pull into a gravel driveway, and two men make their way into the house. It’s Warren and his younger brother, Richard (Marlow), returning from Ellie’s funeral. Warren is in a great deal of pain, and Richard literally has to help him into his favorite chair.
The brothers break out the Scotch and begin commiserating about their loss. We soon learn that Warren’s 40-year marriage to Ellie was troubled, and that he’s a gruff, selfish, not-so-nice guy. It also becomes clear that Richard (who lives in the couple’s guest house) cared very much for his sister-in-law—and did not approve of the treatment she got from Warren.
Warren, retired after a long career as a corrections officer, is clearly the more dominant sibling. Richard, who’s working in an accounting office and trying to pay off a financially greedy ex-wife, comes across as a kind, caring, all-around good guy. Warren needles him mercilessly about the wife who ran off and left him, and about not having a better job.
Despite the animosity, there seems to be some underlying affection between the brothers—or at least there was in the past. As children, Warren was apparently protective of his little brother (although Richard hates being called that) and recounts an incident when he rescued Richard from a flock of angry ducks who were chasing him.
As the scotch flows, the tension grows, and ugly secrets begin spilling out. I can’t reveal much more; I’ll simply say there were major betrayals by both brothers along the way.
Good theater often reveals the human condition to us in new and thought-provoking ways, reminding us of some universal truths: Few situations are ever black and white; love, lust and revenge are very powerful motivations; and everyone is capable of evil if pushed far enough.
A two-person play can be a tricky thing. For it to succeed, both actors have to be quite strong. Luckily, that’s not a problem here.
As the intimidating, mince-no-words, in-your-face Warren, Abe Daniels is simply superb. Though Warren’s physical injuries leave him immobilized throughout the production, he comes across like a bull in a China shop with his verbal assaults. The character often comes across as unlikable, yet there are moments when his humanity shows through. During flashbacks when he’s interacting with a death-row prisoner, or in certain moments when he’s talking about his late wife, he makes us believe that, yes, perhaps he is capable of caring about someone else. At one point, in response to Richard’s effusive praise of Ellie, Warren barks, “She was MY wife, not yours!”
Valley favorite Richard Marlow is perfectly cast as the conflicted, put-upon Richard. (This is not surprising, since the role was written for him.) He’s dealing with a maelstrom of emotions—anger at Warren over his treatment of Ellie, grief over the loss of his beloved sister-in-law, frustration about his job and living situations, and residual humiliation over his wife’s abandonment. Marlow nails it all.
A crucial part of good acting is reacting—really listening to what another character is saying, rather than just waiting for your next line. So is being unafraid of moments of silence onstage, which can be very powerful. Daniels and Marlow handle both of these quite well.
In fact, DET’s Ellie is a master class in acting. I would encourage any young person serious about a career onstage to see it. Ellie is pretty much just two guys sitting in chairs, conversing and drinking. To keep the audience’s attention with such limited action is not easy, but Daniels, Marlow and director Howard Shangraw pull it off beautifully. Shangraw deserves special mention for not only eliciting strong performances from his actors, but for including just enough movement to keep things interesting.
The simple set is lovely; the costumes, lights and sound are all just right. Congratulations to DET executive director Shawn Abramowitz and artistic director Jerome Elliott Moskowitz for once again choosing an excellent new play. Ellie is the company’s 13th world premiere, and it’s destined to be a hit. Go see it.
Desert Ensemble Theatre’s production of Ellie will be performed at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, through Sunday, March 17, at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, in Palm Springs. Tickets are $37.50, and the running time is about two hours with one 15-minute intermission. For tickets or more information, call 760-565-2476, or visit www.desertensembletheatre.org.
