There’s something about the South and a group of women (some of whom are related) that is alternately touching and tense. When they’re all friends, it’s touching and when they’re all family, it’s mostly tense. But blend those two, and the result shows you the perfect amount of pathos, empathy, and humor.
Such is the case with Topher Payne’s “Morningside,” and the production at Stageworks in Tampa gets pretty much everything right. I saw the show the first Sunday of the run, which theater folks know means that the women onstage (and the running crew offstage) hadn’t had a day off since the prior Sunday, and those past eight days had likely been marathon days.
Morningside
Stageworks Theatre, 1120 E. Kennedy Blvd., Ste. 151, Tampa
Through Feb. 23: $15-$50
stageworkstheatre.org, 813-374-2416.
What does this mean for non-theater folk? It means that the cast was likely running on fumes and caffeine, and when they went home Sunday night they probably face-planted into bed.
For that final performance of what the industry calls—with good reason—”Hell Week” to make me laugh and hurt as much as it did speaks to the caliber of what’s happening on the reg at Stageworks. Sure, there were a few stumbles, but I’m chalking those up to the week they’d all had, and, honestly, even if they bothered me a teeny tiny bit, no one else seemed to notice. The rest of the sold-out house, in fact, seemed ready to rush the stage and buy the women a drink.
But what made this show so great? I couldn’t put my finger on any one thing, so I started making a list. And, because I know the world loves lists, I’m sharing it with you.
Stageworks markets the play as “‘Steel Magnolias’ with wine” and its not wrong. “Morningside” is all that’s right with the South and women and friendships and also a lot that’s wrong with those things.
I laughed. A lot. And you will, too. A lot. Comedy’s a lot harder than drama; any comedian, playwright, or actress will tell you as much. The ensemble cast pulls off the humor with elegant timing and quality acting. It sounds simple, and it looks easy. It isn’t, and it isn’t. Sunday’s audience appreciated the effort, and you will, too.
Karla Hartley. Look, this is an ensemble. There’s no question that no one’s the star here; they’re all equal. But Hartley—who is also the driving force behind the company and its producing artistic director—brought her not-that-often-seen acting skills to the stage with this show, and her delivery alone is worth the price of admission (OK, OK, so I had review tickets and technically didn’t pay, but even if you do, it’s worth it, I pinky swear.) Her character—Roxanne Brouchard, part of the “older” women in the show — has the most challenging role in many ways. To explain why gives away a bit too much, but on top of the best lines, Roxanne also has the most triggering story for many of us. Which brings us to…
It’s not all laughs. Before intermission, it’s a comedy, and a good one. After intermission, well, it’s not quite as many laughs. It gets a little dark, which I should have expected but did not. Without a little drama to cast the comedy in sharp relief, this script could be nothing more than a community theater troupe mounting a Neil Simon show to please the most people. The gravity of the second half makes every laugh woven in more worthwhile.
A couple of other things to keep in mind when you go see “Morningside” in Tampa: This is definitely a “chick flick on stage” and, as such, men who love theater who love this show, but if you’re thinking date night with your male partner, you may want to think about Bern’s instead. This is a show you bring your tribe to see with you, but it’s far from a romance. Bearing that in mind, too, consider a more practical matter: There’s going to be lines for the bathroom in intermission. We solved this by flushing the few men out of the men’s room (apologies, guys, but there were, what, four of you?) and taking over, but regardless, don’t drink a gallon of water right before showtime.
You’ll notice I haven’t talked much about the story or the actresses. The story’s basic: A baby shower in the Deep South. The actresses? Yes, I should mention that Emily Belvo rocked her role, but so did Jaime Giangrande-Holcolm, Kym Welch, and… you get the idea. The entire cast makes “Morningside” a joy to experience, and just because you don’t read individual names of actresses or set and lighting designers here doesn’t mean they did any less of a job. Quite the opposite: Everyone, every thing, every nuance, makes “Morningside” the best show I’ve seen at Stageworks. Ever.
Cathy Salustri reviews professional theater for Creative Loafing. Contact her at cathysalustri@gmail.com.
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This article appears in Feb 13-20, 2020.