Mothers and Sons: anger and pain in loss
Terrence McNally’s Mothers and Sons is an exploration of human issues in an ever-changing society. The performance took place at the Theatre Next Door under the direction of Tyrone Grima, starring Polly March as Mrs Bernard, Edward Caruana Galizia as Cal Porter, David Chircop as Will Ogden, and featuring Ben Zammit Marmara’s debut on stage as Bud Ogden-Porter.
The scenography comprised a realistic set-up of an apartment’s living room in winter, with a sofa and coffee table at the centre, a drinks caddy at the back, a Christmas tree, and the hallway leading further into the apartment on stage left, which served as an exit and entrance.
The majority of the action revolved around the sofa, where characters discussed Andre, his life and choices. The sofa served as a pivotal piece to the narrative, particularly during confrontations between Cal and Katherine, encapsulating emotions and cross-generational traumas. Theatre Next Door’s intimate space lent itself well to the production, offering a quasivoyeuristic approach. Polly March’s portrayal of Mrs Bernard was intense – depicting an old woman who chose not to understand her golden child’s sexual orientation because it didn’t fit her narrative, even 20 years after his passing from AIDS.
She broke down the narcissistic mother, pushing past Mrs Bernard’s dowager demeanour, visiting her late son’s partner (Cal Porter) unexpectedly, expecting Cal to bring reason to generational changes. At times, I tried to empathise with the mother who lost her son to a devastating illness, but March swiftly pulls us into the vicious cycle of stubborn misery and self-victimisation, testing my patience with the character.
With a tug-of-war of emotions, visually staged in her interactions with Caruana Galizia, March truly portrayed Lady Macbeth’s ambition and her ultimate demise; a whirlwind performance that clearly held the piece together.
Occasionally, I could feel March’s directorial influences in the interactions between the characters, which contrasted with Grima’s own direction. Nonetheless, the overall performance was impressive.
Caruana Galizia portrayed Cal as the people pleaser who found love in Will quite a number of years after Andre’s death.
His interpretation was that of a good guy trying to, at points, be forgiving for his ex-partner’s transgressions without insulting the mother, while also being sombre over the loss of a loved one.
The way he tiptoed on a tightrope of millennial awkwardness, manoeuvring an unwanted houseguest through reconciliation of a sorrowful past, was exquisite to watch.
I enjoyed seeing Caruana Galizia and March play on the tense, awkward pauses and poor choice of words, their body language adding another deeper layer of texture to the text itself.
Caruana Galizia kept up his pace with March; the two danced around topics of life and death, with Andre as the silent character constantly mentioned, at points making me feel like he would bubble up from the surface of regret from both characters.
David Chircop as Will complemented Caruana Galizia’s character as a young, headstrong husband who comes from a younger, more openminded generation with very strong social justice principles. Chircop as the young father was convincing, though at times, his American accent noticeably slipped, detracting slightly from the immersion.
Zammit Marmara’s debut as Bud was a sweet touch to the production, and while his acting was sensible, the child has a lot of potential to become a good actor. March’s performance resonated particularly well alongside Zammit Marmara’s portrayal.
Their innocent interactions, notably Mrs Bernard’s persistent need to be acknowledged, culminated in a pivotal moment when Bud finally addresses her by her first name. This dynamic serves as the central theme of the play.
Mothers and Sons delivers a compelling story on human relationships and societal challenges, brought to life by the cast. March’s intense portrayal of Mrs Bernard and Caruana Galizia’s nuanced depiction of Cal shine as standout performances.
The production excelled in its intimate atmosphere and thought-provoking themes, there are occasional minor lapses, however, these are overshadowed by the production’s overall impact – Mothers and Sons transcended its New York City setting to resonate deeply with Maltese audiences.
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