“And Neither Have I Wings To Fly” reviewed by Julia W. Rath

[rating=5]Superb acting, casting, artistry, and production values make “And Neither Have I Wings to Fly” an astounding performance! The duo of executive artistic director David Rice and his daughter Hayley, playing father and daughter roles in this romantic dramady, cannot be outdone! The story, written by Ann Noble and directed by Heather Chrisler, takes place in Kilkenny, Ireland in the mid-1950s. The dialogue—sad, funny, and very real at the same time—is performed skillfully in nicely understandable Irish accents. The characters feel so authentic that you want to walk up to them and participate in their family gathering—and even tell them, “Can’t you see that a ghost is present in the room?”

Known in Irish folklore as a banshee ghost, the banshee in this show is Moira Donnelly (Adrianne Cury), who died recently and was buried just two days prior. She makes her presence known to only one person: her older daughter Eveline (Hayley Rice). Evie, being a very dutiful and dependable woman, prepares the meals and sees to the needs of her widowed father Peter Donnelly (David Rice). Evie’s personality is in sharp contrast to that of her younger sister Kathleen (Jennifer Mohr), who is more of a free spirit and who apparently drank to excess at some earlier point in her life and had to be bailed out of trouble. Katy is supposed to marry Leo Doyle (David Gordon-Johnson) this very weekend; he is a man who comes off as being a rather straight-laced and conventional. And the first thing the audience wonders is why such a carefree and spontaneous person like Katy would want to marry such a conservative and restrained person like Leo. This is when we meet Freddy Malone (Michael Dias), an actor and wayfarer, who is almost the exact opposite. He enjoys playing Shakespeare, and in his latest gig, he has been cast in the role of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. In his rendition, Freddy quotes the bard at length, having to do with the ghost of Hamlet’s father, which is seen only by Hamlet’s friend Horatio and the soldiers Bernardo and Marcellus. This (very English) story thus sets the scene for (the very Irish story of) Moira’s return as a ghost.

Noble’s tight and exceedingly well-written script makes all of the characters interesting and creates a beautiful complexity in their relationship to each other. We see how they become the people they are within the context of the family. Specifically, the playwright interestingly counterposes the relative seriousness of the burgeoning writer in the person of Evie with the relative wantonness of the promising actor in the person of Freddy. She compares the type of love that Katy has for Leo and with that of Freddy. Then too there is Leo’s older brother Charlie (in a phenomenal performance by Andrew Behling), who arrives on the scene to be the best man at his brother’s wedding. He is the character who, by reputation, was like Freddy when he was growing up. But, when confronted with his soulmate and the prospect of finally being in love, he suddenly becomes a more responsible sort, closer to his brother’s personality. But unlike Leo, whose even-keeled disposition can let bygones be bygones, Charlie is the radical opposite: His anger can build from zero to sixty on a dime. And his affection for Evie is very different from all the other romantic relationships that we come to appreciate on stage.

Peter, in his role as Evie’s and Katy’s father, also changes his personality and outlook over the course of the play. As actor extraordinaire, David Rice portrays a man who has a good job and wants his new son-in-law to join him on the docks to support himself and his new wife. Although traditional in his leanings, he can see how the daughter who leaves home (and eventually chooses to escape country life) should not be placed in a more advantageous position than the one who, out of filial duty, stays behind to care for him. He too has had a bit of a wanton past, and he understands that to grow as a human being, a person has to spread their wings: because of—or in spite of—their family situation. In his own way, he has channeled the opinions of his late wife. We notice a bit of the romance between Peter and Moira even after her death. Hence at the end (and at several points during the story), the traditional (Scottish) song is sung that starts like this: “The water is wide; I can’t cross over; And neither have I wings to fly.” These lyrics provide the foundation for this story: Basically, the combination of a nurturing environment plus the encouragement of someone whom you love can allow a person to sprout wings and fly when it was not possible before.

Even before the show begins, we see a splendidly designed set by Angela Weber Miller, meant to be the living room, dining room, and entryway in an Irish country house. From the scalloped pink wallpaper and olive green paint to the chandeliers to the heavy use of wood throughout—on the staircase, the floor, and the built-in bookcases, etc.—the set could not have been any better! Sarah West’s beautifully detailed props design is unbeatable, with dishes, books, chandeliers, and all manner of knickknacks decorating the room, making it come alive as the perfect backdrop for the action. The placement of the furnishings at multiple angles allows the directing to flow nicely and the characters to act naturally within their surroundings.

Lighting design by Julie Ballard is excellent, with overhanging LED lights that change color as the mood shifts and also when there is a ghostly visitation. Noel Huntzinger’s costumes are spectacular! I especially liked the off-white and burgundy toile dress with the crinoline slip worn by Mohr as one of her many costume changes. Mohr and Hayley Rice each wore a number of attractive dresses in various shades of green, highlighting their red hair and the Irish heritage of the characters they play. Sammi Grant’s vocal and accent design is done extremely well. Highest marks go to Courtney Abbot, the intimacy and fight choreographer, who has infused a lot of realism into the tale, especially the fight scene. Most of all, bringing out unaffected banter and appropriate body language is a credit to Chrisler’s fine directing.

We observe how Evie moves beyond seeing her life’s mission as just taking care of her aging father. When we see her put her own unrealized needs and goals aside and then pick them up again, we learn something about ourselves. What unfinished work might we have put aside and why? The play also demonstrates how some people can apparently pierce the veil between present-day reality and that of the afterlife—and that a lot more exists beyond our five senses regarding the nature of the universe. This inspired story of romance and desire will tug at your heartstrings and will take your breath away. Get tickets to this wonderful production now!

“And Neither Have I Wings to Fly” is playing through February 26, 2023, at First Folio Theatre, Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 31st St, Oak Brook, Illinois.

Performance Schedule:

Wednesdays – 8:00 p.m.
Thursdays – 3:00 p.m.
Fridays – 8:00 p.m.
Saturdays – 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Sundays – 3:00 p.m.

Captioned Performances for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired
Saturday, February 11th at 4:00 p.m. and Friday February 17th at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets:
Adult
$49 – Wednesday and Thursday
$59 – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Senior (+65)
$44 – Wednesday and Thursday
$54 – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Students
$20 for all performances (full-time students age 22 and under)

For more information about this show, see: https://firstfolio.org/?production=and-neither-have-i-wings-to-fly.

To purchase tickets, go to: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?actions=4&p=3.

For general information about First Folio Theatre and to learn about their other offerings during the final season, please visit: https://firstfolio.org/.

COVID policies: “Masks are required at all times for patrons and visitors, regardless of any change in governmental mask mandates.”

“First Folio is a fully vaccinated workplace, and all employees will be masked, except for the actors while they are performing. To ensure our patrons’ heath and security, as well as the safety of our performers and staff, First Folio has implemented the following policy: Proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 (2 shot of Moderna/Pfizer/Novavax or 1 shot of J&J) is required to attend any performance. There will be no exceptions allowed to this policy.”

See: https://firstfolio.org/?production=and-neither-have-i-wings-to-fly and scroll down for their latest updates.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “And Neither Have I Wings To Fly”.