Milwaukee Chamber Theatre Asks Big Questions in ‘Underneath the Lintel’

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Photo via Milwaukee Chamber Theatre

According to well-known Milwaukee actor Elyse Edelman, Underneath the Lintel is the “perfect pandemic play.” Undoubtedly, playwright Glen Berger had no idea this would be the assessment of his popular work when it debuted in 2001. For many years, the play has been staged—and well-received—by theaters all over the globe, from London to Ireland to New York. This is somewhat ironic, since the main (and only) character in the play spends most of her time in a globe-trotting quest to find out more about a mysterious man.

Back to Elyse Edelman, who stars as the “Librarian” in the recently opened production of Underneath the Lintel at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. According to her, “many of us over the past year have been trapped in our own thoughts, isolated, and felt a desperate need for change—both in our own lives, and in the world.” Isn’t that the truth?

If the play’s title sounds familiar, it’s because Lintel has become a Milwaukee Chamber Theatre favorite over the years. For those interested in a look at the professional work of ACT Artistic Director Brent Hazelton, this all-new production marks his directorial debut at the company.

In the play, Edelman is known only as the “Librarian.” She takes her work so seriously that her identity is indelibly linked to her profession. This middle-aged woman has worked for years at a Dutch library. Basically, her hum-drum life becomes upended one fateful day. In through the book drop comes a volume that is 113 years overdue.

Edelman is as mystified as she is indignant. At first, she guesses that the book must have been left by the great-grandson of its original user, in an attempt to erase “a blot on the family’s name.” But then her imagination takes off, to the point where she wonders whether the original library user might still be alive.

Mysterious Patron

Despite its boring title, Underneath the Lintel contains a great deal of humor. In her animated delivery, Edelman demonstrates how each discovery leads her to the next “clue” involving this mysterious library patron. Occasionally, she goes off on a tangent. She is especially hilarious when recounting the annoying activities of a detested co-worker. At the play’s beginning, she and her co-worker are both vying for the same promotion. That is about the extent of her life’s ambition.

However, as she unearths more and more details that might get her closer to the truth about this particular man, her mind expands exponentially. Suddenly, she is traveling all over the world—often at a moment’s notice. Her library superiors are not pleased.

When in London, she pauses from her quest to take in a production of the musical Les Miserables. She said that, after watching it for a couple of hours, she was indeed more miserable than when she walked in. Still, she is undaunted. Her dogged determination to subpoena the library patron with “the fine of his life” eventually becomes something more existential. She asks big questions: Does God exist? Do miracles happen and we don’t recognize them? What is the meaning of life?

Thus, her detective story becomes more of a search for meaning and where we fit into the big picture. As Edelman says, it is indeed easy to relate to these issues during a year such as 2020.

Even the theater company itself has had to “pivot,” as they say, to continue production these days. In their re-imagined virtual season, all Milwaukee Chamber shows are available online only, in the privacy of a viewer’s home.

It is unfortunate that an audience’s laughter is missing from Lintel, as Edelman creates so many opportunities for us to giggle at her exploits (which are told in a Jewish accent). Another humorous highlight (and one that makes the most of current film technology) is a “conversation” that Edelman recreates using an orange-haired troll doll to represent one speaker and a small baby doll to represent the other. The camera is only inches away from Edelman’s face, which makes her attempts at puppetry all the funnier.

It should be noted that, unlike the other plays in Milwaukee Chamber’s current season, Lintel must be reserved for a certain day and a certain time. The 90-minute show is live-streamed through May 2. Some performances are followed by talkbacks. 

Edelman’s odyssey is conducted on a mostly dark stage, filled by a wood desk, an empty chalkboard, a wood chair and a steamer trunk (design by Madelyn Yee, with lighting by Noele Stollmark). The lighting is perfectly choreographed to change according to the multiple camera angles used during the production (videography, etc. by Studio Gear). Much about the character’s life can be immediately assessed by her unfashionable outfit, consisting of a pink blouse covered by a burgundy cardigan, paired with a long, accordion-pleated skirt and clunky shoes (costume by Austin Winter). Need one even mention that the bespectacled Edelman is wearing her hair in a neat bun?

None of this delightful production would be possible without Edelman’s talents. She is such a natural storyteller than one can hardly wait to see where the story is headed next. Amazingly, her energy and concentration never falter during her monologues. This is also a credit to director Brent Hazelton.

In the end, Edelman’s character has questions about leaving a legacy to future generations. By this time, she has learned a lot through self-examination of her own life goals. The questions she poses throughout the play are ones that may have surfaced for many viewers in 2020. Like Edelman’s character, (who has lost her library job), many may wonder where the future will lead them. This might be the perfect time to offer a play about examination, reflection and the uncertainty of what lies ahead. 

Underneath the Lintel continues on certain days and times through May 2. To purchase online tickets, visit milwaukeechambertheatre.org