Leading woman in ‘Divorce’ goes through grief, recovery
The most brilliant thing about “My Brilliant Divorce” was the near one-woman performance of Lilli Bassett as Angela Kennedy Lipsky.
Set in London, the play by Galway-born Irish author Geraldine Aron opened Friday at Carpenter Square Theatre, 800 W Main.
Left by her husband for a younger woman at the outset, Bassett as Angela went through almost every imaginable stage of grief and recovery.
Bassett even seemed to have conflicts about her conflicts, giving the role a both touching and often wildly amusing “whistling in the dark” quality.
Pacing herself well through the long first act or acts, Bassett did finally build to a strong finish, when a “Wild West” weekend in Wales, led at long last to romance.
More “tell it like it is” than politically correct, the play did poke not necessarily fair fun at her “round head” husband and his serial younger lovers from abroad.
Supporting Bassett very well in their multiple roles were Laurie Blankenship and Richie Rayfield.
Blankenship shone as Angela’s Irish Catholic
mother, better at letting go, and as a spy-friend, sharing updates from inside the enemy camp of Angela’s ex.
Rayfield morphed easily from inconsiderate husband, nearly deaf to her entreaties, to Angela’s doctor, lawyer and a clerk shouting out her order at a sex toy shop.
Angela’s best “straight man,” however, and one of her few benefits from the divorce, was a stuffed dog named Dexter, on a leash that stayed stiff between walks.
Performed on a minimal set, with most props hanging on the pastel-hued walls, ready for use, the play was directed with good comic timing by Linda McDonald.
Taking a long time getting to its denouement, but worth the ride — sometimes just barely, thanks largely to Bassett’s performance — the comedy is recommended.