The tragic, yet inspirational, story of five Canadian women during World War Two came alive this weekend at Helms Theatre right here on Grounds. Waiting for the Parade, written by John Murrell and directed by Johnathan Green, was overall a well-done and moving piece, though a bit slow moving at times.
The cast consisted of four undergraduate students: Keenan Caldwell, Caroline Pugliese, Molly Coyle and Katie McDaniel, accompanied by U.Va. faculty member and professional actress Judith Reagan. Reagan, who played the eldest of the five women, Margaret, was clearly at ease on stage. She made the audience feel at home with her collected and thoughtful portrayal of a middle-age women suffering from the loss of her two sons. Her performance was memorable in a discreet, yet admirable way. But her lopsided wig was also memorable, probably in a more obvious way.
Caroline Pugliese's portrayal of Janet was the weakest of the cast. She makes a crisp, clear singer and an excellent piano player. She, however, is perhaps not the actress needed to play the obnoxious role of Janet. If done correctly, the audience would feel empathetic towards Janet by the end of the play. Unfortunately, Pugliese did not take advantage of this opportunity during Janet's monologue in the middle of the second act. She, however, did cause a few good laughs that occasionally highlighted the show.
Molly Coyle was truly adorable as Marta, a native German who suffers from the capture of her father by the government. She receives undeserved treatment because of her heritage. Coyle's accent was nearly flawless and her interpretation of Marta allowed the audience to feel the necessary compassion that the script demands.
Keenan Caldwell, who played Catherine, a stoic woman whose husband goes missing, is clearly a mature actress whose experience allowed her to rule the stage. When I spoke to her afterwards, she was intelligent, grounded and extremely pleasant.
When asked how she could relate to Catherine, Caldwell said, "Catherine tries so hard to be stoic and she can't help getting frustrated with other people who can't be; she's impatient as I am. Perhaps it's not the most admirable way to relate, but it's important to find your characters flaws and appreciate them."
It was obvious me that this was the type of analysis she had done throughout her work on the show. Her character was perhaps the most complex to play, yet Caldwell truly made it her own.
Finally, Katie McDaniel was a breath of fresh air that made the heavy storyline quite funny. She performed Eve, a shaky schoolteacher married to an old fart, with precision. She was enchanting, warm and full of sprit. Her performance alone made it worth seeing the show.
The unadorned set of sheer curtains that easily hung from the back was extremely effective. The script itself is emotional and complicated enough that the simplistic costumes, lighting and set design were complimentary.
Overall, Waiting for the Parade was well worth eight of my Arts Dollars and I do recommend it to all U.Va. students. I think it would be nearly impossible to see this production and not feel anything.
"The play is set in a very specific place that we don't ever think about, but with what is happening in the war now, it's very topical and timely," Caldwell said. "Looking in on this focus lens is actually letting us into our own world."
"Waiting for the Parade" runs Sept. 26-30 at 8 p.m. in the Helms Theatre. Tickets are $8 for students.
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