TWO VIEWS OF "MARY
BROOME" Mary Broome
One of the most interesting facts about playwright Allan Monhouse is the dearth of information about him. Even the Encyclopedia Britannica (printed version) failed me. Yet according to Mint Theater, which is currently reviving his 1911 comedy “Mary Broome,” the playwright “was a dramatist, novelist and critic known for his piquant portrayal of middle class life in northern England,” and “Mary Broome,” which premiered at Manchester ‘s Gaiety Theatre and moved to London, was hailed by The Guardian as “a remarkable piece of work.” What’s more, The Observer compared its style to that of no less a literary luminary than George Bernard Shaw. Ah, the ravages of time! Although it’s easy to see that Monkhouse is no Shaw, the Mint production, directed by Jonathan Bank (the Mint’s artistic director), does make a good case for why this play should not be forgotten, as it does for so many worthy but neglected plays. The comedy is witty and pithy and makes comments about the rich and the poor which should not be lost on us today. The two rather unwilling lovers in this play are Mary Broome (Janie Brookshire), who is a maid in the Timbrell household and Leonard Timbrell (Roderick Hill) the wastrel son who has gotten her pregnant. If dress and manners would not be enough to indicate the difference in their positions, Roger Hanna has designed an elegantly Edwardian parlor (complete with satiric portraits of the ancestors ) for the Timbrell’s; one can only imagine what the home Mary was raised in must have looked like. Contrary to all expectations, Leonard’s father, Edward (Graeme Malcolm) insists his son “make an honest woman” out of Mary. His mother (Kristin Griffith) can do little more than ring her hands. But Leonard is a cad, and despite our most fervent wishes, this alliance cannot have a happy ending. So what makes “Mary Broome” a comedy? At times, considering the dark nature of the events in this play, it’s hard to tell. Yet, much of the repartee between Leonard and his father, or Leonard and his brother, Edgar (Rod Brogan), is quite funny. And we always have a good time watching the wealthy make fools of themselves, as they undoubtedly do in “Mary Broome.” In fact, Leonard's sister Ada (Katie Fabel), and brother Edgar and his fiancee Sheila Ray (Julie Jesneck) all do this quite well. Not that the poor are particularly admirable. Mary’s father (Douglas Rees) and mother (Jill Tanner) show little interest in their daughter or their ailing grandchild when they come for a visit. In fact, their visit seems to have been motivated more by duty than love. But Mr. Broome’s misunderstanding of the circumstances surrounding the marriage (he believes Leonard has defied his father) are a source of amusement. Brookshire’s Mary is properly humble, but she also has spunk and a welcome honesty in this house of hypocrisy. Hill has a tougher job; despite Leonard’s glib tongue, the man is utterly despicable. Hill does get us to smile at Leonard’s wit, but we soon scorn his actions. Although Mary and Leonard are the central characters, one could make a good case that Mr. and Mrs. Trimbell are far most interesting. Both surprise, Mr. Timbrell in his inexplicable sense of justice and responsibility and Mrs. Timbrell in her unexpected and quiet strength. And both Malcolm and Griffith give full rein to their characters’ quirkiness. Comedies of manners do not always travel well through time. But in this case, a hard-working cast and masterly direction turn a forgotten piece into something well worth remembering.
But Papa Timbrell (Graeme Malcolm), who spends a considerable
amount of timing barking out patriarchal orders, has a few tricks
up his sleeve to punish his wayward son. Leonard, he informs his son,
will become a decently married man or his allowance will be cut. Leonard
thinks it a joke, Mary wants the floor to swallow her whole, and the
family is aghast – all of which convince Papa to push the plan.
Do you want to marry Leonard? asks Mama Timbrell. Well, I want to
marry someone, Mary replies. Her working class family has standards
– an observation that seems to astonish the Timbrells. And so
Act I ends with a proposal and an acceptance. |
| museums | NYTW mail | recordings | coupons | publications | classified |