Mary MacDonald Kerrstars as struggling artist Dana Fielding. As Fielding, Kerr portrays abeautiful, intelligent vulnerability. She plays the subtle strength behind thecharacter's fragility with an organic sympathy. As the production opens,Fielding sits in the back room of a gallery displaying her art. She fears thatthe show is going poorly, a feeling that is only amplified by Laura Gray in therole of the gallery's owner. Gray is comically intimidating as a vacuous,confident woman whose intensity is accentuated by Amy Horst's costuming(exclamation points are formed in the negative space on her shoes).
The failure ofFielding's show is a contributing factor to a suicide attempt that occursbetween scenes. The next time we see her is at an art table in a mentalhospital. She sits in the middle of a table flanked by an addict (charminglyplayed by Nicholas Harazin) and a highly functional psychotic (played withirresistible enthusiasm by Peter Reeves). Kerr's unforgettable performance isgreatly supported by Reeves, Harazin, Gray and occasional appearances by a verysweet Linda Stephens, who plays a friend genuinely concerned about Fielding'swell-being. As rendered by Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Gilman's script capturesthe extremes to which a psyche will go for a little stability.
Milwaukee ChamberTheatre's The Sweetest Swing in Baseball runsthrough May 2 at the Broadway Theatre Center.
