Playwright Sharon Pollock’s clever take on ‘did she or
didn’t she,’ the Lizzie Borden story, puts to rest the jump rope rhyme, “Lizzie
Borden took an axe…“ The actual
number of ‘whacks’ that were dealt was fewer that forty and forty-one and more
likely whacked with a hatchet. Of
course, hatchet doesn’t rhyme with whacks, so there you are.
At rise, it is the 1920s, thirty years after the 1892 murders
of Andrew Borden and his second wife, Abigail. We first meet Lizzie Borden (dark and intense Carolyn
Crotty) discussing the lines that Lizzie Borden, The Actress (very blonde Meg
Wallace) speaks in what becomes evidently, a ‘theatrical.’ It’s a clever and
somewhat disorienting trip. The
Actress is having difficulty with her speeches. The discussion between the Lizzies sets the stage for
reliving events that led up to the dramatic actions that became national
headlines.
The play is somewhat of a rollercoaster with the interesting
shift from the women discussing the dramatic events to seeing the events
unfold. Eventually, The Actress: Blonde Lizzie plays out the tensions and
frustrations of her story while Dark Lizzie morphs into the Irish Borden maid,
Bridget Sullivan. As Sullivan,
Crotty affects an Irish accent and brings strong presence to each scene. The evidence of the class system that
cast the Irish as undesirable expands to a flirtation by Blonde Lizzie with a
married Irish doctor (smarmy Jay Disney).
The social times and the high standing of Andrew Borden (true New
Englander Hap Lawrence) and his family, including his second wife, Abigail
(Deborah Cresswell), older daughter Emma (lovely Amy Moorman) have a difficult
time with Blonde Lizzie’s obstinate rejection of her father Andrew’s insistence
that she marry a local widower.
 |
| L to R: Meg Wallace, Amy Moorman and Carolyn Crotty |
Director Steve Jarrard
(who also appears briefly now and then to address the audience as the
jury in the Borden trial as Lizzie’s defense attorney) has his hands full with
the attitudes of the ‘real’ women, Dark Lizzie and The Actress who observe and
then act in the theatrical of the events that lead to the murders. The theatricality of the ‘play’ shifts
slightly from the point of view of the two women as the story unfolds. History reports that Andrew Borden was
unpopular and a very rich businessman as well as being a tighwad. He was not
particularly liked in Fall River, Massachusetts. Exposition includes Harry Wingate (excellent Steve
Peterson’s natural portrayal) conniving with Andrew to do an end run around
Lizzie and Emma regarding a farm where the family enjoyed summers.
Not without some flaws, Blood Relations serves up food for
thought about this factual urban legend.
The vast contrast between the ‘real’ Lizzie Borden (who really just
wanted to be Elizabeth and live a comfortable life) and the Actress is one of
method and presentation. Blonde Lizzie, Meg Wallace’s voice, even in this tiny
space is sometimes difficult to understand. The broad approach to the ‘theatrical’ verges on the
melodramatic, which may have been Jarrad’s intention. None the less the company of actors ‘playing’ their
characters are mostly evenly broad.
Some physical bits need work.
 |
| Hap Lawrence, Carolyn Crotty and Meg Wallace |
This is a play within a play that teases us with the notion
that Lizzie Borden may or may not have taken a hatchet… but most likely was
guilty of the gruesome deed. She was
acquitted probably because it was unthinkable in 1893 that a woman was capable
of such a heinous act.
The authentic set by director Jarrard greets the audience
and serves well the story.
The excellent period costumes are not credited.
The Raven Playhouse is a tiny 42 seat space next door to
Vicious Hot Dogs in the burgeoning heart of NoHo. The pleasant guy who gave the curtain speech admonished the
audience to tell their friends if we liked the show and if we didn’t to tell
our enemies! This theatre deserves
an audience as they do not solicit funds except from patrons who buy tickets to
see their shows.
BLOOD RELATIONS by Sharon Pollock
The Raven Playhouse
5233 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
Runs May 16 through June 15, 2014
Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 7:00pm
Tickets are $20 with a $5 discount for seniors and
full-time students.
323-860-6569
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