“The New Word” an audio play reviewed by Julia W. Rath

Misalliance Repertory Theatre breathes new life into James M. Barrie’s “The New Word” in their all-audio version of his 1915 play, directed by Barbara Zahora and featuring sound effects and audio editing by George Zahora.

At the age of 19, Roger Torrence (Austyn Williamson) has been made a second lieutenant in the British Army. The night before he is supposed to leave for his army base at the onset of World War I, he and his family—his parents and his sister—have a series of in-depth conversations with him and with each other. “The New Word” is a touching story about how different members of the Torrence family relate to this young man, soon-to-be soldier, while dealing with the uncertainty of what his fate might be. His mother Ellen (Mary Michell) reminisces about an older son who died at age 7: “[But] now I see him a man of twenty-one, dressed in khaki, fighting for his country, same as you.” She urges her husband John (Richard Henzel) to talk frankly to Roger about the filial bond between them. When father and son subsequently establish their closeness, it appears that Roger does not fully comprehend that war and its devastation can be brutal. Instead, he seems to be more impressed with strutting around and reeling his ceremonial sword. At the same time, Roger’s 17-year-old sister Emma (Pricilla Torres) somewhat naively fails to grasp the magnitude of the situation—that her brother could be killed or injured in battle—and instead she laughs about snipers bumping him off. She simultaneously jokes about him being a conquering hero. The story illustrates how different generations might view war differently and how historical moments impact family relations on a microlevel.

This intimate play was based on a real or imagined family discussion that the playwright might have had with his adopted son George Llewelyn Davies. But first a bit of background: Barrie was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he met the Llewelyn Davies family and their boys. In particular, the young George became the inspiration for Barrie’s 1902 adult novel “The Little White Bird” and his 1904 play “Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.” Barrie, who adopted the Llewelyn Davies children when their own parents had died, wrote this play after suffering a great loss: namely, George was killed in 1915 during World War I. The story thus becomes a catharsis for Barrie, who clearly sees himself in the imagined role of Mr. Torrence, that is, wanting to get close to a son who he may never see again. “The New Word” is thus the confidential conversation that he and George might have had, given the opportunity. Considering that the story is set in Victorian England where relationships among men were relatively stiff and standoffish, the conversation between father and son is especially poignant and meaningful.

As the narrator (Barbara Zahora) put it: “The uniform comes forward with Roger inside it.” The boy has grown into a man but has no clue who he really is. Yet this is the very moment when the father decides that he no longer lives in the generation who can fight wars, and therefore he passes the torch to his son and pronounces that he is now the head of household. At the same time, the two men share a cluelessness about the historical underpinnings of this international dispute. The closest we get to some need to understand the larger picture comes with Mrs. Torrence’s earnest question of her husband: “How long do you think the war is likely to last?” Despite his reading the newspaper and presumably being as informed as possible, he quickly changes the subject. There is no answer. Nobody really knows when one generation’s conflict becomes the next generation’s horrific consequence.

THE NEW WORD
By James M. Barrie
Directed by Barbara Zahora
Now streaming at www.misalliancerepertory.org
No charge – a gift to our supporters. (Donations gladly accepted)
Open ended

In The New Word, an ordinary British family gathers after dinner on the eve of their son’s departure for service in World War I. At once poignant and hilarious, it features a family caught up in global events that will change their lives.

the online radio play production of “The New Word” is available for remote listening through Soundcloud via the Misalliance Repertory Theatre’s website: https://www.misalliancerepertory.org/. The run is open-ended.

There is no charge to listen to the audio stream but a donation is requested. Please go to https://www.misalliancerepertory.org/donate for more information on how you can help share these and other important stories! Misalliance Repertory Theatre is a 501(c)3 organization, and your tax-deductible donation goes towards production costs and fair wages for the artists. Donors will receive a written acknowledgement.