A
HEARTWARMING "SHIRLEY VALENTINE"
“Shirley Valentine” is aging
gracefully. The English playwright Willy Russell wrote this one-woman piece in
1986, finding immediate success on the London stage. His play subsequently
became a hit on Broadway and was released as an equally appreciated film in
1989.
Now we can see Shirley truly has
become a charmer for all decades. Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway
Blvd., has successfully remounted its own 2009 production, with Carlisle Ellis
returning as Shirley Valentine once again, that will run through March 18.
Twice on opening weekend Ellis
made the transformation from a somewhat depressed 52-year-old wife and mother
to a cheerfully enthusiastic independent woman. Both performances received
standing ovations.
Because the strident feminism of
the 1980s has softened a bit in pop culture today, Shirley’s other more
heartwarming qualities can to come to the fore. The play even some insightful
comments about politics in the Middle East which are as true today as they were
25 years ago.
Ellis seems to have been born to
play this role. In the first act we meet her as a seemingly ordinary person
dutifully performing all her housewifely requirements. She has an unseen
husband, Joe, who takes her for granted. She has two almost-grown children who
insult her at every opportunity.
Shirley’s life, as she stands in
her little Liverpool kitchen in early evening fixing her husband some
chips-and-egg, keeps getting smaller and smaller. It feels like she’s on a
slippery slope without a rope.
Her one friend, Jane (also
unseen), is one of those defiant activists who bought Shirley a round-trip
ticket to the Greek islands so the two of them could run off for a fortnight
together being free souls at large in the world.
Shirley’s not sure she wants to
go. Her husband will be angry. Her children will hate her. Insisting on having
her own life, even for a couple of weeks, could break up her family.
Ultimately she does go, of
course. Otherwise it would be a very short play.
The trick in the performance is
to show a flash of Shirley’s rebellious spirit from her teen years so we can
believe she may be down, but she’s not out. There needs to be a touch of
mischievousness in there, as well.
Ellis brings all that and more to
her performance, successfully taking on the voices of all those unseen
characters and making each of the additional personalities as distinctive as
her own.
By intermission people are
shouting out to Shirley, "Bon voyage!" The audience has been so
completely won over by her born-again spunk they are talking back to Shirley
from their seats.
In the program notes, director
Sabian Trout says “I believe there’s a little bit of Shirley Valentine in all
of us – male or female, regardless of age.”
I believe she is absolutely
correct.
For one night only: Live Theatre
Workshop has added a Pay-What-You-Can Industry Night performance to the run of
SHIRLEY VALENTINE by Willy Russell on Thursday, March 15 at 7:30 PM. ($10 suggested
donation.) Don't miss your chance to catch the glorious revival of Carlisle
Ellis' MAC Award-Winning Performance as Shirley Valentine!
Performances
of “Shirley Valentine” continue at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m.
Sundays, through March 18, at Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway Blvd.
Tickets are $18 general admission with discounts. For details and reservations,
520-327-4242, or visit www.livetheatreworkshop.org
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