Bowie Community Theatre’s The Cover of LIFE
Mid-20th century, the weekly magazine was the premier delivery of news, culture, values, information and all things current. Photo-laden Life Magazine was one of the stalwarts. The Cover of LIFE — written by Louisiana native R. T. Robinson in 1992 — recalls that era.
In 1943, three newly married brothers from rural Louisiana enlist in the war effort on the same day. In a not uncommon tradition of the time, all three wives move in with the brothers’ family. LIFE Magazine assigns a female overseas correspondent to cover the story as a fluffy woman’s piece. The allure of a cover story is too irresistible, so offended hard-boiled New Yorker Kate Miller travels to Louisiana.
She finds a story more nuanced and complicated than she expected.
Robinson’s play is not perfect, but it is often funny, with well-written dialogue and a surprisingly strong after effect.
Caity Brown as Tood, wife of the youngest brother, and Diane Sams as journalist Kate Miller carry the emotional intensity. The best scene features these two at a picnic, discussing their hopes and ambitions. Different as their values are, each displays touching empathy for the other.
Sams plays her reporter all Rosalind Russell: quick, sharp and to the point, but with a touching vulnerability. Brown plays Tood as a family peacemaker who longs for grander vistas.
As Aunt Ola, the mother of the three sons, Kathryn Huston is utterly believable, in both routine and crisis. One wants to see another play about Aunt Ola and her life.
The other two wives are Weetsie (Rinn Delaney) and Sybil (Terra Vigil). Weetsie has funny lines, but her religious nature and capitalist tendencies could be better defined. Sybil is depicted as a happy party-girl. She should, but does not, change at the end of the second act.
Whisper Washington’s performance as local reporter Addie Mae would be enhanced by more vocal projection.
The southern accents are well done. Speech rhythms are not quite slow enough to be accurate, but the inflections are correct and appropriate.
Director Bob Sams also collaborated on stage design, which is sparse and effective. On the other hand, quick, two-person scenes are not so successfully staged, and scene changes slow the pacing.
It was a nice directorial touch to give a curtain call to the unheralded theater workers who place props and move furniture.
At intermission a British World War II bride introduced herself. The banter, easy laughter and obvious fondness she shared with the five friends who brought her to the show made a life mirror to The Cover of LIFE. On opening night, real life imitated theatrical LIFE.