MOTHER PLAY
May 10, 2024PETER BOAL
May 14, 2024Review by Celia Ipiotis
Much of Amy Herzog’s gut-wrenching play Mary Jane lives in the unspoken realm of a mother’s heart.
Every single day, the perky, good humored. glass “half full” Mary Jane deals with the implications of caring for a physically and neurologically impaired child. Expertly directed by Anne Kauffman, Mary Jane avoids the handkerchief sentimentality suggested by the subject and instead, simply deals with the matters at hand.
Born very prematurely (25 weeks), Mary Jane’s baby boy walked a tightrope between life and death that finally led to life. However, it was a compromised life requiring constant care and nursing assistance. Despite the hardships, Mary Jane (a remarkable Rachel McAdams) sees the human being; not the illness. And that describes, better than anything else, the incredible love and attachment this mother has for her child.
Having befriended one of her home nurses, Sherry (April Matthis) constantly reminds Mary Jane that she’s taking on way too much for one person. But despite the warnings, she holds down a daily job and nurses her son.
The first person to notice the strain is the friendly female super (Brenda Wehle) who reminds Mary Jane everyone has a limit on their personal resources. Tall, gawky and concerned, she suggests Mary Jane find some way to let off steam–mediationan, yoga, weed……
When her son lands in the hospital, Mary Jane encounters other women devoted to their children with life long health issues. These mothers come closest to the description of “angels on earth.”
EYE ON THE ARTS, NY — Celia Ipiotis
