THE LOVED ONES, a North American premiere, written by Erica Murray, directed by Kyle LoConti, starring Eileen Dugan, Rebecca Elkin, Smirna Mercedes, and Ember Tate-Steele. The show runs 2/14 – 3/2 for three weeks only! Thu – Sat at 7:30, Sat-Sun matinees at 2:00. Presented by the Irish Classical Theatre, 626 Main Street in Buffalo’s Theatre District. (716) 853-4282 | irishclassical.com
RUNTIME: 2 hours, one 15-minute intermission
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: The play takes place in a secluded farmhouse in West Clare, Ireland, and follows Nell and her daughter-in-law, Orla, as they gather to scatter the ashes of Nell’s son, Robin. Their weekend takes a turn with the arrival of Cheryl-Ann, an American tourist seeking comfort in the Irish countryside. A young Englishwoman, Gabby, unexpectedly shows up, several months pregnant, claiming to have had a relationship with Robin. Tensions rise as the four women navigate their shared grief. Secrets come to light, forcing them to confront the fragile nature of truth and the complexities of love and to redefine their relationships, their pasts, and most certainly, their futures.
THE PLAYERS, THE PLAY, AND THE PRODUCTION: On Friday night, I entered the Irish Classical Theatre Company’s space, and there was a palpable energy in the air. I think the excitement of seeing something new—a play that has not been done in North America before, a play written by a woman, directed by a woman, and acted by four women—provided an electric jolt for this savvy and experienced opening night audience.
In Kyle LoConti’s director’s note, she mentions that two-thirds of theatre-going audiences are women and that we still see imbalances in percentages of female playwrights, directors, and even leading roles in the plays we see. She mentions that a shift in awareness regarding the lack of female playwrights and directors is happening but that there is a long way to go. The Buffalo theatre community seems to be embracing female-driven work, particularly this season.
Just this month, Second Generation, led by Kristin Bentley and Kelly Copps, is presenting The Niceties, written by Eleanor Burgess, directed by Gabby McKinley, and starring Anika Pace and Pamela Rose Mangus. ART is currently running The Mighty Maisie, written by Bella Poynton and directed by Kelli Bocock-Natale. It features women in the lead roles. Alleyway Theatre’s Black Bear Island (A World Premiere and winner of the Mazumdar Award) is written by Karissa Murrell Myers and features a female lead played by Gabrielle Nunzio. Finally, Bellissima Productions, led by Nicolette Navarro, has Brilliant Works of Art, written by Donna Hoke and directed by Sabrina Kahwaty, featuring Zoe Goñez. Hopefully, we will see more seasons like this in the future.
Under Artistic Director Keelie A. Sheridan, the Irish Classical Theatre Company has had quite a thrilling season so far, and The Loved Ones keeps that momentum going.
We already had a sense of intimacy as we sat down, gazing at Kyler Sterner’s old farmhouse kitchen-living space set, beautifully lit by Jayson Clark. This is another one of those engrossing plays that draws you right in—to the effect that you feel like you are peering through someone’s window and eavesdropping on their conversations.
The play’s opening scenes unfold in a light, laughable style under Murray’s sharply constructed dialogue. We first meet Nell, played by Eileen Dugan, the owner of an Irish countryside farmhouse that doubles as an Airbnb. Immediately, she commands the stage in the most unassuming way. Ms. Dugan has an extraordinarily open face—the face of a woman who conveys a character that has endured her lot in life with plucky tartness. Dugan, as Nell, anchors the play.
We also meet Gabby, played by Ember Tate-Steele, a young English student who shows up unannounced at Nell’s farmhouse and proclaims she is pregnant with Nell’s recently deceased son Robin’s child. Ms. Tate-Steele convincingly brings Gabby to life. With comfort and likability, she makes you feel like you know Gabby and elicits sympathy from the audience easily. She never comes off as brash or hard—her performance has a strong, quiet dignity.
A fifty-something, somewhat awkward, bird-watching, Harry Potter-loving, American staying at Nell’s named Cheryl-Ann is enthusiastically and entertainingly played by Smirna Mercedes. She is written as a typical overbearing American tourist—the kind that slightly amuses and annoys Europeans—but under Ms. LoConti’s mindful direction, Mercedes, as Cheryl-Ann, doesn’t go too overboard. She adds some levity to the drama, and I thought the scenes where Ms. Mercedes, as Cheryl-Ann, is quieter and even silent, just observing the other women, were quite telling and showed her skill and range as an actress.
Rebecca Elkin enters as Orla, Robin’s wife and Nell’s grieving daughter-in-law. The arrival of Orla propels the drama, and you can feel the change in the air from more comical to serious. Ms. Elkin is giving one of the best performances I have seen all year in a play. Her portrayal is textured, detailed, and nuanced. She vacillates between self-absorption and compassion as she steers through her grief and the trauma of being betrayed by Robin’s infidelity.
The Loved Ones is completely absorbing, hilarious, and heartfelt.
Ms. Murray lets the audience in on what the other characters don’t know—with great effect.
Theatre reviews can sometimes feel like movie trailers; or long winded synopsises of the story. However, I believe, less is more. I went into The Loved Ones completely cold, only knowing Ms. Tate-Steele and Ms. Mercedes were in the play (I have previously seen both on stage in musicals) and that Kyle LoConti was directing, whose work I have previously admired.
I let this play wash over me. I took it in and let it wrap itself around me, and it was thrilling. The characters are irresistible—they are charming and edgy, and they are relatable, especially in their shared, painful grief. The play addresses some heavy issues—adultery, infertility, unwanted pregnancy, and abandonment—but doesn’t quite tackle them head-on.
This is a must-see for theatergoers who want to take a ride and be swept away for a little while in someone else’s world. You will certainly laugh, as the opening night audience did frequently, and you may even cry. Hopefully, this review has piqued your interest.
Grab tickets to see this well-crafted, well-written, directed, and performed work of art by some significantly talented, incredible women.