Even though the leaves aren't on the trees yet, people can enjoy the chance to do some gardening with a production of "Pruning the Family Tree."
A slice of dark comedy, the play deserves some recognition for its gutsy look at the relationship of mothers, daughters and husbands and wives. But its powerful messages are poorly underscored sometimes because of its lack of seriousness.
The show closes out MSU Theatre Department's Arena Theatre season. It can be seen through Sunday.
The play is about the female members of the Casey family who reunite for the funeral of a family patriarch. The four women represent three different generations. The situation has them studying themselves and each other. The play is written by Oklahoma playwright Daniel Gordon.
Packed with humor, several moments in the play will strike you as funny, if you don't mind jokes about death. But scenes where the characters go into long conversations that are supposed to be amusing are missing something.
As a man criticizing the play, the story will not keep you from sympathizing with what the women say about men. The mother and grandmother of the Casey women have had difficult experiences with men in their lives.
But not everything is worthy of praise in the play.
During a scene when they discuss men and how they treat women, the characters go off on tangents that take away from the overall conversation. The tiresome "Seinfeld"-like form of comedy is just bad in this play. It seems as if every playwright in America has decided conversations should go into these huge tangents and should never have a point.
I blame television writers for milking this cow dry and ruining a once rarely used comedic device.
The acting in the play was well done - two actors in particular caught my eye.
Gillian Carter plays the simple daughter of the now dead member of the Casey family. The journalism sophomore did a noteworthy job in the role and was one of the standout members of the cast. She took to the role in a very childlike manner and gave a convincing performance.
Fine arts graduate student Rachel M. Roberts is the mother. Roberts is even good in the role when she is just standing next to the liquor stand on stage, shaking slightly like she is an elderly woman. While her youthful looks betray her age, a better makeup job would have had you believe she is much older.
A dark comedy with a message, "Pruning the Family Tree" is a good way to finish out the season.
Overall: 2 stars
Script: 2 stars
Acting: 3 stars
Costumes: 1 stars
Set: 2 stars
