Review: 'Picnic' Revisits Perennial Issues of Sexual Politics
"Picnic," now being presented at The Arctic Playhouse, asks a basic question: Can a woman live her life without a man? The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by William Inge debuted in 1953. It serves as a unique time capsule of a very different time in American life.
The setting is a small town in Kansas, where neighbors Helen Potts (Nancy Vitulli) and Flo Owens (Karen Gail Kessler) sit in the back yard and share the tribulations of their lives over cold glasses of lemonade. Flo is a widow raising two teenage daughters, Madge (Alyssa Oliver) and Millie (Addison Magiera).
Madge, known as "the pretty one," is dating Alan (Benjamin Davis), who is about to return to college. They seem to get along very well, yet Madge dreams of running away to New York City. She develops an infatuation for drifter Hal (Paul Simmons), a man with a tragic past and a tendency to walk on the wild side. Sporting a long mane of hair and decked out in a T-shirt and cowboy boots, Hal is the opposite of the well-groomed and earnest Alan.
Millie is the total opposite: a tomboy who loves reading and art. The most interesting character is Millie. Magiera makes her the most interesting character in the play. She could have played Millie as merely a bratty teenager, but she manages to bring depth and texture to the portrayal.
The sisters fight constantly and find themselves in very different emotional states: Oliver is quite compelling as the wayward Madge. Hal seems completely wrong for her, yet she is attracted to his sense of danger. Unlike Madge, Millie exhibits a strong independent streak and vows to lead a full life without a man.
Kessler ("Exit Laughing") is sympathetic as the mother hoping for the best for her daughters. Flo warns Madge she only has a few good years to find a man to settle down with.
As for the men, Alan, seething with jealousy, gets revenge on his former fraternity brother by telling the police that Hal stole a car.
There are still more layers to the play's social critique. Lee Rush ("One Slight Hitch") is a standout as Rosemary, the schoolteacher renting a room in Flo's house. After going on a bender, she lashes out at Hal for spurning her affections. Rosemary then begs and pleads for shop owner Howard (Paul Oliver) to marry her. It's a tremendously sad scene, and Hall wonderfully conveys this woman's desperation.
Director Karen Besson ("Crimes of the Heart") specializes in family dramas, and understands how to stage scenes for maximum impact.
Lloyd Felix's exquisite set design and Sandra Richard's painted backdrops of sunsets over the horizon are simply gorgeous. Nancy Spirito's costumes serve the time period — and the story — well.
The sexual politics of "Picnic" reveal how far society has evolved (or maybe failed to evolve) in 70 years. Like Madge, many women are still looking for love in all the wrong places.
As a drama, the show succeeds, and the characters are relatable and often compelling in their flawed humanity. All in all, a solid showing from The Arctic Playhouse.
Picnic runs through April 13. The Arctic Playhouse, 1249 Main St., West Warwick, RI. Running time is 1 hour 50 minutes with intermission. For tickets, call 401-573-3443 or visit thearcticplayhouse.com.