Theatre Review: ‘Top Girls’
Elizabeth Hurd Published: May 16, 2016
Rachel Irick and Krissy Jones collaborate as Directors of “Top Girls” the unique look at the feminine struggle to succeed.
Caryl Churchill, talented British playwright, explores the internal thoughts of a career woman trying to climb the unsteady ladder of executive achievement. Written in 1982, “Top Girls” takes place in a time of blatant discrimination. Today, where it exists, it is a bit more subtle. However, the profound and personal demons faced by today’s working woman are exactly the same. “Top Girls” examination of one woman’s journey is interesting and entertaining. This production from Oklahoma City Theatre Company is creatively directed by Irick and Jones. The cast they have chosen brings the competence necessary to stage a very complicated piece.
The play opens as Marlene, the ambitious heroine, hosts a dinner party at a fabulous restaurant. She invites an eclectic mix of mythical and historical females, from Pope Joan to Isabella Bird. These interesting ladies may be unfamiliar to the audience, but they are evidently quite familiar to our heroine. They tell their stories with humor and heart, often talking over and through one another. By the next scene they are gone and Marlene must take on those men above the glass ceiling all on her own. The characters at her office and her home are played by the same actresses from the first scene. The transition to modern typical characters is handled gracefully and expertly by the completely female cast. Megan Montgomery plays Marlene with an underlying desperation thinly coated with a cucumber cool exterior. Marlene is familiar to every working woman and Montgomery clearly captures the urgent need to conquer. Zaneen Hotchkiss is Isabella Bird, explorer and adventuress–one of history’s most romantic figures and then she is Marlene’s sister Joyce, trapped in drudgery. Vivian Le is Lady Nijo, Japanese concubine turned Buddhist nun and then Le becomes just another office drone. Kaylan Ferrell is Dull Gret living a life that is anything but dull she then becomes Angie the rather dull niece of Marlene. Anna M. J. Holloway is Pope Joan, truly religious yet unruly and irreverent and she becomes Louise, applicant and supplicant. Karen Garlitz springs from the pages of Chaucer’s Canterbury tales and she then becomes Nell and Jeanine with ease. Sephra Kolker is the Waitress at dinner and then she becomes the modern characters of Kit and Shona.
These seven actresses display brilliance in their overall performances, but it is the dinner party that makes them shine. Churchill’s skill creates a complicated scenario requiring the actors to top each other as politely as any mad hatter from Alice in Wonderland. Holloway as the tipsy Pope Joan, chattering in both English and Latin and Hotchkiss as the intrepid Isabella Bird interjecting common sense as if it were nonsense and cheering the sensibilities highlight the party Marlene hosts. The entire cast does an excellent job and the hysterically funny moments in this scene set up Marlene’s quandary. As Marlene, Montgomery maintains her aura of quiet desperation throughout as all of the other actresses transform from their flamboyant historical and mythical romantic characters to mundane colleagues and family members. Each actress brings a unique perspective to each character, creating an excellent ensemble cast. The efforts of Irick and Jones in direction are invisible as they should be. It is that invisibility that indicates superiority.
“Top Girls” plays through May 22, 2016 in CitySpace at the Civic Center Music Hall in downtown Oklahoma City. Curtain is 8:00 pm for evening performances and 2:00 pm for Matinees. For further information call the Civic Center Box Office at 405-297-2264 or visit www.OKCTC.org.