Mary Jane

 Mary Jane
Manhattan Theatre Club
The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
June 6, 2024 

Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club

The Manhattan Theatre Club production of Amy Herzog’s Mary Jane is tender, sad, and enthralling.  Ms. Herzog’s writing is skillfully honest.  Her characters are truthful.  The relationships are bold and real.  Director Anne Kauffman finds the even tempo that is appropriate for the telling of this story.  The characters, all women, have an ease about them, which allows the audience to settle in and absorb the action.  Except for Rachel McAdams, all the actors play more than one role, filling the stage with maternal perspectives that illuminate the themes of the play. 

Mary Jane (played by Rachel McAdams) is the single mother of a two year old boy, Alex, who is severely disabled.  He is non-verbal, limited in his physical ability, and requires round the clock care.  We meet one of his more reliable nurses, Sherry (played by Brenda Wehle), who generously offers Mary Jane support and advice that are above her job requirements.  When Alex has a series of seizures, he is taken to the hospital for an extended stay.  Mary Jane does not leave his side, and unfortunately, loses her job.  Her love and dedication are unwavering.  After a number of weeks, Alex undergoes surgery.  It is then we see how Mary Jane’s identity is fully enmeshed in being the mother of this special needs child.

Rachel McAdams as Mary Jane
Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club

The beauty of Ms. McAdams’ performance is in the unraveling of her character.  In the first few scenes, we see her surface.  She is outgoing, positive, and accepting.  As the action progresses, we see her unsure, waiting.  We sense her isolation.  She is searching, reaching out for connection.  In the final scene and final moment of the play, we see the truth of her character.  It is afterwards that we realize that the optimism portrayed in the opening scenes was a mask.  The choices Ms. McAdams made in those earlier scenes were purposeful and specific.  They were stiff, awkward.  A façade.  The character’s core is revealed in the final scene.  Her guard is down.  She is comfortable facing herself.  Her sadness and anxieties dissipate.  Her revelation in the final moment is enlightening.  This is a well-crafted performance. 

Rachel McAdams & Susan Pourfar
Photo courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club

One of the most well-written scenes in the play is the one between Mary Jane and Chaya (played by Susan Pourfar), an Orthodox Jewish woman.  They meet in the hospital, and share their feelings about motherhood, faith, and raising a child with severe disabilities.  It is honest and direct.  The characters both have a deep need for connection.  They have no hesitation opening up and trusting one another.  This scene is excellently written, masterfully directed, and genuinely performed. 

Mary Jane has been extended through June 30.  This play gives a visceral understanding of the depth of love inherent in motherhood.  The entire cast (Rachel McAdams, Brenda Wehle, April Matthis, Susan Pourfar, and Lily Santiago) is superb.  

Domenick Danza

Toni Stone

Toni Stone

Roundabout Theatre Company

Laura Pels Theatre

June 8, 2019

Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Lydia Diamond develops a captivating storytelling style in her new play Toni Stone.  Director Pam MacKinnon collaborates with choreographer Camille A. Brown to generate momentum and build a tight and unified ensemble.  April Matthis is mesmerizing and genuine in the title role.  The audience gets to know this character through Ms. Diamond’s prolific and humorous writing.  Ms. Matthis delivers a superb portrayal.

Toni Stone (played by April Matthis) is the first woman to play professional baseball in the Negro League.  The opening of the play is her onstage alone, telling how natural the weight of the ball feels in her hand.  As she is growing up, nothing gets in the way of her pursuing her interest in the game of baseball.  Her naiveite about social interaction is overcome by her extreme focus on the art of the game.  She memorizes stats of players from their baseball cards and repeats them over and over as she faces the challenges of playing in the Negro League.  The sexism and racism on the road during her playing career are rough, yet even more shocking is the jealousy and resentment from her own teammates.  Her story is found between, as she says, “the weight of the ball and the reach.”  It is an inspiring story of perseverance, determination, and self-awareness. 

April Matthis as Toni Stone
Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Surrounding the main character throughout the show is an ensemble of her eight teammates.  These eight men play numerous characters in Toni Stone’s life.  These characters vary in race and gender.  This brilliant choice by Ms. Diamond illustrates the strength of a team and the value it played in building Ms. Stone’s integrity, both on and off the field.  These eight actors are all magnificent, creating distinct and complete characters.

Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company

Toni and the players tell about the entertainment component of the Negro League, how they had to purposefully lose games when playing against white teams, and how they were refused rooms in hotels after spending long, tiring hours on the bus.  The final scene in Act I, choreographed by Camille A. Brown, depicts the team playing a game while clowning and performing as if in a minstrel show.  It is a stunning and effective way to show the degradation they all experienced in order to participate in a sport they were dedicated to play.  It is an impactful ending for Act I.

Toni Stone is a little-known American hero.  She broke barriers in professional baseball and lived life on her own terms.  Lydia Diamond does a spectacular job dramatizing her story.  The Roundabout Theatre Company production of Toni Stone is playing at the Laura Pels Theatre through August 11.

Domenick Danza