Talley's Folly

Talley’s Folly, Lanford Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winning play, opened in Austin College’s Beardsely Arena theatre last week. I attended the March 1st opening night performance. As I entered the arena theatre, I immediately noticed the folk music playing in the background. I took my seat four rows from the stage, which was designed to look like an old boathouse, or “folly”. There were only two characters in the entire production: Matt Friedman and Sally Talley. The performance opened with Matt Friedman, played by Michael Brache, giving a brief, scripted introduction. In the introduction, he announced that the play run like a rhythmic waltz (1-2-3, 1-2-3), it would run exactly 97 minutes, and he pointed out the exits in case audience members needed to use the restroom. I found this method of introduction interesting because the character was acknowledging that the production was a play; it was not reality. Thus, instead of seeing the character Matt Friedman in front of me; I saw an actor. However, Brache quickly became Matt Friedman, an older Jewish man in love with Sally Talley, as the production progressed. Brache was successful in portraying Matt Friedman through his use of voice. The actor had a well-rehearsed, Jewish accent that was clear and full of energy. Each line was spoken without breaking the accent, and the actor seemed confident onstage, never faltering in his lines. The character’s gestures and movements were very polished, even when the character had the difficult task of falling down in ice skates. In addition, Sally Talley, played by Averie Bell, seemed less confident in her words and actions, occasionally fumbling over lines, walking a fine line between a West Texas and Missourian accent, and often standing with a scowl plastered on her face. Though maintaining an angry tone throughout the majority of the performance, her character was not well-rounded, making it difficult for the audience members to relate to her. Also, the interactions between the actors were at times awkward and painful to watch, such as the uncomfortable kiss as the characters overlooked the water at the end of the play. Ultimately, there were some imperfections in the production. However, I found Talley's Folly to be enjoyable overall.

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