New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Career far from ‘Make Believe’
Yale Drama grad Bess Wohl, right, premieres her latest play this week at the Hartford Stage
“‘Make Believe’ is surprising and funny, but it’s also a serious play about childhood, performed by children.”
Elizabeth Williamson, associate artistic director, Hartford Stage
HARTFORD — Bess Wohl graduated from Harvard and Yale Drama School before embarking on a fairly successful acting career. But it’s her playwriting that earns Drama Desk and other awards now, the latest of which is a world premiere at Hartford Stage called “Make Believe.”
Wohl’s smart, mostly wordless and very well received “Small Mouth Sounds” was performed at Long Wharf Theatre last season; “Make Believe” will run Thursday through Sept. 30 to open the theater’s 55th season.
Jackson Gay, who directed “These Paper Bullets,” “The Moors” and “Elevada” at Yale Rep, will direct the play, set in the 1980s.
“Make Believe” follows four youths and four adult actors as their latchkey childhoods are affected by mysterious problems of the adults in their lives — and how that resonates with their adult selves.
“I couldn’t be happier to be opening our season with Bess Wohl’s Hartford Stage commission, ‘Make Believe,’ ” said Hartford Stage Associate Artistic Director Elizabeth Williamson in a release. “I’ve worked with Bess for almost a decade, beginning with premiering her plays ‘Touch(ed)’ and ‘In’ at Pioneer Theatre Company. As with all of Bess’ work, ‘Make Believe’ is surprising and funny, but it’s also a serious play about childhood, performed by children. It’s exciting, theatrical, and deeply moving.”
The company of “Make Believe” includes Megan Byrne as adult Kate; Chris Ghaffari as adult Chris; Brad Heberlee as adult Carl; and Molly Ward as adult Addie. The youth roles are played by Roman Malenda, Alexa Skye Swinton, RJ Vercellone and Sloane Wolfe.