'The Waverly Gallery' a heartbreaking must-see

‘THE WAVERLY GALLERY’: Joan Allen & Elaine May. Photo: Brigitte Lacombe

THE WAVERLY GALLERY
Written by Kenneth Lonergan
Directed by Lila Neugebauer
Through January 27, 2019
John Golden Theatre
252 West 45th Street
(212-239-6200),www.TheWaverlyGalleryOnBroadway.com

By David NouNou

Kenneth Lonergan has not so much penned a play as he has written a slice of life. Some people may call it a memory play as in Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie in which Tom recalls the past and his family. Yet here Daniel Reed, played by the wonderful Lucas Hedges, doesn’t so much recall the past but explains in each successive scene his grandmother’s plight. His grandmother, Gladys Green, is radiantly played by the indomitable Elaine May.

The play opens with Gladys conversing with her grandson Daniel in her Greenwich Village art gallery about his life, his job, and things in general. She talks to him about his parents’ broken marriage and the fondness she and her deceased husband had for their son-in-law. She recalls her past and her joy of meeting new people. This is all done in a loving and nurturing but a bit repetitive manner. At first this comes across as funny because Elaine May has the knack of wringing humor from the most mundane of lines; but as the scene progresses the repetitiveness becomes more serious because Gladys isn’t so much as eccentric as she is developing the early stages of dementia.

As the story unfolds, Don Bowman (Michael Cera) enters the gallery. He is an artist who has moved from Massachusetts to New York to sell off his pitiable art and the only place that will take him in is Gladys. She believes all artists deserve a chance and enables him to showcase his art in her space, a so-called gallery.

Wednesday nights are reserved for dinner at Ellen (Joan Allen) and Howard Fine’s (David Cromer) home. Ellen is Gladys’ daughter, mother to Daniel and wife to second husband Howard. It is here where we begin to see Gladys’ deterioration. Ellen is the bastion of strength in the family, one who looks after Gladys and has to deal with the problems that begin to arise on a daily basis. She is ultimately the one who has to decide what happens to Gladys once she is informed that she is losing her gallery space and how this loss will affect Gladys when she has no place to go to fill her days.

Again, let me reiterate what we see here isn’t so much a play but actual life that Mr. Lonergan has put into words. He totally connects the dots of the start of Alzheimer’s disease, to the progression and the inevitable unreasonable demands that are unwittingly made by the patient. The effects it has on the family, when they take on the responsibility and refuse to allow the loved one go into a nursing home. Although this may sound very depressing, Mr. Lonergan has framed it with humor, which makes sitting through it a cathartic experience.

For a play of this nature, you have to start with an outstanding ensemble cast. I have to start by thanking Elaine May for bringing my late mother (who suffered from the same disease) to life and showing, with heartbreaking accuracy, what she went through those last few years of her life. Ms. May captures every nuance of so many of these patients and she does it exceptionally. One can’t imagine the toll it must take on Ms. May, but her performance is nothing short of remarkable.

Lucas Hedges is at the forefront of young actors and already has classic films under his belt. Mr. Hedges last year had his Oscar-nominated role in Manchester by the Sea and received critical raves for his work in Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Mr. Hedges stars in the much-anticipated, soon-to-be-released Boy Erased. He makes an auspicious Broadway debut here and hopefully he returns frequently because he is equally at ease and engaging in front of a camera as well as with a live audience.

Michael Cera, earlier seen this spring in his Tony-nominated role in Mr. Lonergan’s Lobby Hero, is almost unrecognizable, as he has shed his baby-faced looks by growing his hair and a beard, to play a hapless young artist. He is perfect as this guileless artist trying to survive in the big city.

It is great to see Joan Allen back on the New York stage inhabiting a very difficult role of trying to be a cold and disciplined daughter who has to say no and rein in her unruly, deteriorating mother, but also be caring and compassionate. David Cromer, who is a Tony-winning director, is equally adept at acting. His performance is dictated by his artistry of being an impeccable director. Lila Neugebauer directs everyone with sharp precision.

What makes The Waverly Gallery a must-see is that it is a life history lesson. It captures our past and what we were, it captures the present of what we have to cope with, and it captures the future for a preparation what may be in store for a loved one or for us.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published October 29, 2018
Reviewed at October 28, 2018 press performance.