Review: Winter Into Spring
Playhouse West, 4250 Lankershim Bl., North Hollywood, 818-985-3311
by Jim Berg
Tony Savant’s “Winter Into Spring” is subtitled “Country Women, Country Heartaches, Country Songs.” Unfortunately, “Country Abuse, Country Rape” would be more appropriate. The play is centered on two sisters, Irene (Christine Cavanaugh) and Elie (Ashley Quattro). Elie moves in with Irene and Frank (Greg Mardon) after her brooding husband (Mark Pellegrino) leaves her. Frank and Irene’s marriage has gone cold and the sultry presence of Elie brings out the problems in the marriage. Frank rapes and impregnates Elie, which turns out to be the cure for the marriage woes and later impregnates Irene. Of course it would crush Irene and the unborn child if she knew about the rape, so Frank threatens Elie to keep it secret, and Elie, being the good country woman/victim that she is, not only keeps the secret but continues to live in the same house as her rapist and finds a dupe (Brett Harman) to be the father of her child. Elie is eventually driven to madness by the stress of the circumstances and the whole thing unravels. There’s a big confrontation, Frank leaves, and the Country Singer (Glen King) who narrates the story sings a song that is at best irrelevant and at worst seeks forgiveness for the rape and abuse.
I might not be so adverse to the meaning of this play were it not delivered so powerfully by the actors. The leads delivered their dialogue with such precision and clarity that they nearly overcame the direction’s shortcomings. Christine Cavanaugh sought some sort of refuge and hope in this dismal story, but unfortunately it was not her story to tell. Brett Harman, who played the dupe, brought depth, in addition to humor, and gave the audience more than just a saintly character. Finally, Mardon was so real in his abusiveness that it is downright offensive that his character is given the last word and his behavior towards Elie described in terms of a nice country love song.
It is apparent in this production that Playhouse West is an acting school first, and a theatre second. Being an acting school and not just a play school gives them freedom to push, test and explore, which is apparent in the hard work and talent of the actors. ♦