Next Act Theatre, known for its modern, socio-politically astute theatrical offerings, brings to the stage a play centered squarely on the drama we find within our own families. The Secret Mask by Canadian playwright, teacher and television writer Rick Chafe receives its American premiere at Next Act under the direction of Edward Morgan with a small, powerhouse cast of veteran performers.
As the company describes it, the play is “a moving parable of prodigal fathers and sons.” The story centers on George who was abandoned by his father, Ernie, as a child, and whom he hasn’t seen in years. When Ernie has a stroke that renders him temporarily unable to communicate and makes it difficult for him to access memory, his son decides to help him recover and must confront his own shadow as much as the challenging reality before him.
Morgan elaborates: “It is set in Canada, where a somewhat harried businessman finds himself confronted with the chance to recover his relationship with his father, Ernie—and he takes it. Of course, it’s not that simple. In fact, it’s incredibly inconvenient, and George is considerably challenged and changed before all’s said and done. But that’s the essence of this wonderful, warm-hearted play, and it’s pretty universal.”
Asked about the relevance of this piece to local audiences today, Morgan replies, “What I find most interesting about it is how it looks at memory and the dynamics of family as they play out in George’s life and relationships. As a parent and as a person who was a child, I relate to that, and I think most people will. It’s also a fascinating look at memory and connections between memory and identity, and these things are also universal. Finally, I think it will entertain as well as touch people’s hearts.”
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Although the subject matter is serious, the script is not without humor. Ernie’s dialogue is peppered with malapropisms, and, handled by James Pickering, the role will doubtlessly come to charming and realistic life. We can also look forward to the fruits of a time-tested dynamic between Morgan and his three actors, all of whom he’s worked with on numerous occasions.
Stylistically, Morgan shares that the script calls for modern realism in its acting, but that “the use of space and time is more theatrical. The play jumps locations and times, so the set can’t be too specific a location and instead creates a world to encompass all of the scenes and which represents the play as a whole. Our set will also partly represent what it’s like inside Ernie’s head.”
The Artists
In a variety of roles, including speech therapist, Mae, who turns Ernie over to his son’s care, Pickering’s real-life wife and fellow veteran of Milwaukee stages, Tami Workentin, will be called upon to perform with significant dynamism. Morgan says, “Mae draws on her [Workentin’s] sympathetic strengths and the rest of the roles play to her versatility. Some of the other characters are more comic and some more dramatic. They add a lot of fun and theatricality to the piece.”
Playing George is Drew Parker who first worked with Morgan at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and later performed in the premiere of his play Way Downriver: William Faulkner’s ‘Old Man’ in 2014 (then titled Twenty Seven). The Secret Mask marks the actor’s first performance in Milwaukee.
Morgan himself has been a Milwaukee playwright and director of note for many years. He’s worked with Next Act since 2005, directing approximately 10 regular season plays as well as various John McGivern shows; he has served for six years as associate artistic director of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, where he directed nearly 30 plays. Although this is his first time working with a Rick Chafe script, the playwright and he have been in close communication regarding the American premiere.
Among the production’s designers are many other familiar Milwaukee names: Jessica Connelly stage managing; Rick Rasmussen designing the set; Aaron Sherkow creating the lighting; Dana Brzezinski designing costumes; and Next Act Theatre Artistic Director David Cecsarini designing the sound.
Sure to provoke thought and reflection on familial bonds of all kinds, The Secret Mask runs Nov. 16-Dec. 10 at Next Act Theatre, 255 S. Water St. For tickets, call 414-278-0765 or visit nextact.org.
