Theater Review: ‘The Welkin’ makes a compelling case in Merced
By Heather Parish
Some plays revel in questions, turning them over, picking them apart. Others will happily give you the answers — in no uncertain terms. “The Welkin” sits squarely in the latter camp. Playwright Lucy Kirkwood spends nearly three hours telling you exactly what to think about the short shrift women’s maternal experiences have gotten through the ages. And yes, she’s correct.
It doesn’t follow, though, that the lessons presented in “The Welkin” are tedious or dull. Kirkwood’s script is full of lush language, pithy characterization and an atmospheric setting admirably staged by The Phoenix Creative Collective in Merced.
A jury of women
Director Joe Hype’s captivating production, which is set in rural England in 1759, begins with an ensemble tableau where the women are shown performing different domestic tasks, such as cooking, cleaning and sewing. The familiar sounds layer upon each other, building into a percussive rhythm that is simultaneously comforting and confining. The daily work of these women is just so … daily.
That is until a disturbed young woman, an unrepentant Sally Poppy (Megan Brown), is charged with the brutal murder of a wealthy local girl. Sentenced to hang, she claims that she is pregnant, which, if true, means her sentence will be commuted and she will instead be transported to the colonies. A jury of 12 “matrons” is tasked with determining whether Sally is genuinely with child. Locked in a room, they must reach a consensus on Sally’s condition and, consequently, whether she will meet the hangman. Enter midwife Elizabeth Luke (Lauren Dickenson Turner), who brought Sally into the world and is determined not to be the one who sends her out of it.
In short, it is “The Crucible” meets “12 Angry Men.”
The devil is in the details
The action moves to the rustic jury room swiftly after a few introductory scenes. There we are introduced to the jury of matrons. The women come from a variety of backgrounds and social classes, and they all pointedly mention how many pregnancies, live births, stillbirths and miscarriages they’ve had. Of course, this is the primary qualification for the job.
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As each one introduces herself, Brown’s twitchy Sally stands above them on the dock, positioned like a witch hovering over her coven as they kiss her book in fealty. The set makes the most of the domestic and pastoral elements of the period, while Edgar Alamo’s lighting design and Caleb Westby’s music design provide just the right amount of moodiness. The period costumes, which are mostly in stark blacks, grays and whites, have certain modern elements mixed in that connect specific characters to more forward-thinking attitudes.
As the central characters, Turner and Brown are excellent, providing the diametrically opposed points of view familiar to a modern audience with emotional grounding. “The Welkin,” though, is really an ensemble piece. Everyone contributes an important moment, whether through a rational argument (Ananda Desirre Shaffer’s lawyerly Ann), a sympathetic act of kindness (Niara Denyce Jones’ sweetly dim Mary) or a starkly personal revelation (Carin Heidelback’s heart-stopping monolog about seeing the devil while giving birth).
Other sharply drawn moments are gems from Carol Vandegrift’s wealthy widow Charlotte; Haley White’s persnickety and snobbish Emma; Bridget Mitchell’s menopausal Judith; Brooke Aiello’s tightly wound Helen; Casey Ballard’s saucy Kitty; Laura Gonzales’ appealingly smug Peg; Ileisha Sanders’ knowingly wry Hannah; and Charlene G. West’s elegantly discreet Sarah Smith. I couldn’t help but like them all, even the “unlikable” ones. (Disclosure: I’ve directed Aiello, Ballard and White in the past, and they are accustomed to getting pointed notes from me. But this is some of the best work I’ve seen from each of them in recent years.)
Shawn Overton The Welkin. Phoenix Collective at Merced Multicultural Arts Center. Pictured: Casey Ballard (l) and Carin Heidelback (r).
The male characters are also deftly drawn, though mostly there to further the plot (a welcome reversal in gender roles, some would say). The primary male role is affectingly portrayed by Shawn Overton as Mr. Coombs, the affable quasi-bailiff who is strictly forbidden to speak during the jury proceedings. Albert Martinez as estranged husband Frederick Poppy and David Hambley as the matter-of-fact Dr. Willis are both stalwarts in their brief roles, with David Barbaree giving a bored justice a humorous spin.
A few loose threads in a rich tapestry
The script can be preachy (quite literally), but it is equally generous and downright funny at times. The sharp humor of Sally being thwarted by a group prayer when she is just trying to urinate is unexpectedly hilarious, showing the absurd tension between the needs of the body and the needs of the spirit. Petty squabbles and social jockeying abound in the room, illustrating that the lives of women are not always about sisterly solidarity, though a little more of it might go a long way.
While intelligently written and performed, “The Welkin” has its flaws. The tautness of the first act slackens in the second when Kirkwood begins pulling strand after strand out of the tapestry of the matrons’ lives. Once the verdict is rendered, the momentum flails and lurches toward Sally’s inevitable fate. The ambition of the piece is exciting throughout, though.
Shawn Overton The Welkin. Phoenix Collective at Merced Multicultural Arts Center. Pictured (l-r foreground) Bridget Mitchell, Laura Gonzales, and Niara Denyce Jones.
The word “welkin” is an archaic name for the heavens, the firmament of clouds, stars and atmosphere. In 1758 – 1759, people were still in awe of the predicted return of Halley’s Comet, shifting their gazes from the earth to the sky, from folk knowledge to formal scholarship, from midwives to medical gentlemen. This bold play’s strength is in the detailed illustration of a mystical reverence for women’s bodies and a simultaneous horror of them. When women talk and come to agreement about themselves, they are at their most dangerous and most powerful.
That hasn’t changed all that much in 267 years.
“The Welkin” continues at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center through Oct. 24.
Featured image at top:
The Welkin. Phoenix Collective at Merced Multicultural Arts Center.
Pictured center: Carol Vandegrift. Photo: Shawn Overton
