Live and in person at Here for Now Theatre, Stratford Perth Museum, Stratford Ont. Playing until Aug. 3, 2024
Written by Steve Ross
Directed by Jan Alexandra Smith
Set by Darren Burkett
Costumes by Monique Lund
Cast: Geoffrey Pounsett
Ben Skipper
Jane Spidell
Deeply personal, moving, funny, revelatory and beautifully done.
12 Dinners is described as “autobiographical.” So this play is part of actor-playwright Steve Ross’s story.
Over twelve-monthly dinners we see how Steve (Ben Skipper) interacts with his parents, Jim (Geoffrey Pounsett) and Bettye (Jane Spidell), they with him, and they with one another. Steve visits from the city. The parents live in the country. Jim is quiet and accommodating. He greets Steve at the door with handshake and a “how are you, old man?” No hug here, perhaps there is a reluctance to show emotion. Steve is pleasant, smiling and upbeat. Then Bettye enters and the mood seems to tense. Bettye is dour. She is critical of Steve for a variety of reasons. She flings quips, stinging comments and complaints almost in passing. He takes it with a smile, no sass and no backtalk, because one never knows what will send Bettye off again.
Over the course of the twelve dinners, we get the clear sense of what it must have been like in that marriage, in that family and for Steve. Bettye never met a positive statement she could not twist out of proportion so that she felt slighted. Either Jim was too silent and buried in his newspaper, ignoring her or Steve said something that offended or disappointed her. He was not the success she envisioned. We learn of her depression and reluctance to get proper help. And with every dinner Bettye gets more brittle, sullen and wounded; the facial expressions of hurt are chiseled on her face.
Theatre is ‘life lived on purpose.’ This is what it was like in that family over the years, shown to us over 12 dinners. It’s no wonder Steve only went to dinner there once a month; more would be debilitating. While watching the production, one wonders how much more the audience can take of this unfortunate woman’s negativity.
And then, just at the perfect point, playwright Steve Ross has his character Steve give ‘the speech.’ It’s ‘the speech’ the audience needs, that will have Steve explode (one imagines for the first time) with the truth about growing up lonely in that house and why; the truth about Bettye’s depression and his. The speech is like rain clearing away a debilitating, oppressive heat. It gives context to the family dynamic and now understanding about Bettye’s plight in life. After that, we look at her differently, this time with compassion and understanding. We look at them all in a different light.
Jan Alexandra Smith has directed a wonderful, detailed and subtly complex production. Darren Burkett has designed a set of a formal dining room table and credenza that holds the various dishes and cutlery for all those dinners. This family ‘dines’ (no other word for it) at the dining room table. In almost choreographed movement, Jan Alexandra Smith has each family member either putting the padding down first, then the formal table cloth and place mats over that, or putting down dishes with napkins, knives and forks. Dishes are taken off as well in a set, choreographed order. Eating and drinking is mimed.
The relationships of the characters are also beautifully established under the guiding vision of Jan Alexandra Smith. Because Bettye is so highly strung, father and son are watchful of her to ensure they are careful not to offend her. As Jim, Geoffrey Pounsett keeps his head down, his mouth shut and his reactions in control. Jim is quick to praise the food. He does not respond to a barb. Ben Skipper plays Steve and looks like Steve Ross. Skipper even assumes Steve Ross’ speaking cadences. But Ben Skipper is not giving an impersonation of Steve Ross, he is giving a performance of a character named Steve. As Steve, Ben Skipper is charming, eager to please, caring, funny, observant and often resigned. For all of Steve’s good nature, Ben Skipper lets loose with ‘the speech’ that is forceful, angry, urgent and yet loving. As Bettye, Jane Spidell is astonishing. There is not one shred of sentiment in this fierce, compelling performance. Spidell is not afraid to be unliked and ‘ugly’ as Bettye and she does it with tight body language, varying grimaces and perfectly placed zingers. Bettye carries a lot of baggage and resentment around with her. Both Bettye and Steve have depression. Both handle it in a different way.
A quibble; at the beginning of the play the music of the Beach Boys continued to play ‘under’ Steve’s first speech for several seconds. I hope this was just a glitch on opening night, but that music has to be cut off when Steve starts to speak. We need to hear every word without underscoring.
Steve Ross has written a play about a troubled family tangled up in the mother’s depression and unhappiness. Perhaps because of the generational stigma of mental illness, Bettye did not know how to help herself or why she should. Steve has inherited depression too only he knew how to get help and take care of himself. Steve Ross illuminates the generational divide between the way the Mother and the son sought help. And of course, 12 Dinners is about forgiveness and forcefully reaching out in love and compassion.
Here for Now Theatre presents:
Plays until Aug. 3, 2024.
Running time: 90 minutes (no intermission)