Taylor Rupp swept us up in the life of Catherine Donohoe, a young mother, at first excited to go off to work outside the home, and later vulnerable, devastated, empowered. As her husband, Tom, Heath Sartorius inhabited the full spectrum of emotions from charm to despair. Erin Hoffman added moxie and humor to the mix as co-worker Charlotte. Erin Barger and Anasti Her added depth to the ensemble of workers who became sisters in this team effort.
All actors except Taylor played multiple roles, with Charles Sartorius particularly effective as the boss, Mr. Reed; the evasive doctor working for the company rather than the patient; and the heroic lawyer who takes on the Radium Girls’ case. (Good to see real-life father and son Sartoriuses… Sartorii? sharing the stage.)
I’ll cheat a little, here, (since I agree) and quote a bit from Oralya Garza's excellent review in the upcoming Ripples:
"This level of performance is uncommon for most community theatres. The cast worked well together and Sue Chmurynsky’s direction was present and not heavy handed. Her resolution to the costume changes and refreshing of the set were choreographed as part of the scene and done in such a way that it was not intrusive and did not diminish the performance in any way. I enjoyed this performance. The cast was interwoven and worked well together. The story was an excellent selection and it was very well done."
These Shining Lives continues for one more weekend - Thur 7pm Fri/Sat 8pm and Sun 2 pm
Get there early for best seats and best parking (Sundays especially - since Impression 5 is open.) Reservations assure admission, though it is general seating.
http://www.riverwalktheatre.com
517-482-5700