Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Lindsey Ferrentino’s amusing, empowering AMY AND THE ORPHANS has heart to spare

• By drediman
• March 2, 2018
• No Comments

Debra Monk, Jamie Brewer, and Mark Blum in the Roundabout Theatre Company production of Lindsey Ferrentino’s “Amy and the Orphans” at the Laura Pels Theater.

Last night, Lindsey Ferrentino’s rich, amusing family comedy-drama Amy and the Orphans opened Off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre, courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company. Lindsey Ferrentino is playwright with plenty of Feelings – no, that capital “F” wasn’t a typo. Her previous effort, Ugly Lies the Bones,also staged by Roundabout, was an emotional rollercoaster ride that thrived on extreme circumstances (the premise: a disfigured, unstable war veteran returns home and a lot of shouting ensues). The play mostly worked on account raw, brute force, but it was also prone to a lack of subtlety.

With the gentler Amy and the Orphans, it’s refreshing to see Ms. Ferrentino take her foot off the pedal. Her latest tells the story of three middle-aged siblings who have grown apart over the years. The youngest sister, Amy, is afflicted with Down syndrome and was raised separate from the other two in a home for like children. When their father passes away, they reconnect and reassess their relationships. The play also travels back and forth over time between the present day and a series of scenes depicting their parents’ – when they were still alive – difficult decision to, essentially, wash their hands of Amy. Ms. Ferrentino attempts to cover a lot of thematic ground in a relatively small amount of time (it briskly runs just under 90 minutes), which noticeably weighs on the play’s slight frame. That being said, the writing is warm and often times very funny. Its characters are richly and lovingly drawn, despite their obvious imperfections. Indeed, Amy and the Orphans  has heart to spare.

The same can be said of this top-notch Roundabout production, efficiently directed by Scott Ellis, which features a deluxe cast which including Vanessa Aspillaga, Edward Barbanell, Mark Blum, Jamie Brewer, Diane Davis, Josh McDermitt, and last but not least, the always-fabulous Debra Monk. It must be noted that Ms. Brewer, who is giving a stealthy performance as Amy, is an actress living with Down syndrome. To see her onstage in a leading performance is inspiring and empowering; it’s reason enough to catch this new play.

RECOMMENDED

AMY AND THE ORPHANS
Off-Broadway, Play
Roundabout Theatre Company at the Laura Pels Theatre
1 hour, 25 minutes (without an intermission)
Through April 22