"WHALE" tugs Hard at the Sad Losses of Life, vs. the Laughter of Daily Life - You Pick the Winner

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WHALE …           SCR's Fine Production of WHALE Pulls Hard at Both Life's Losses & Its Daily Laughter-You Choose The Winner...

By Joseph Sirota

We rarely run into a play as captivating as Samuel Hunter's Whale, yet a play that pulls us so intensely in opposite directions. The characters, center around Charlie, a huge 600 pound, middle-aged man mainly limited to his sagging couch, and his walker or wheel-chair to hobble to his apartment bathroom. He communicates via Cell-Phone, Laptop PC, TV/Remote-Control ... and an unlocked door for him to yell come-in to, since getting-up or opening the door would be painfully doable. We can't help but feel pity at Charlie size, and his extreme helplessness to move about or take care of himself because by his body's weight, and the debilitation of his health barely breathing and cardio failures. But we'll soon will find out his life once had a meaningful story beyond just his size. We learn this as he interacts with others who enter his little abode & we observe he wasn't always like this. Bit by bit, more is revealed of the paths of his earlier life and the people both back then and now who are (or had been parts of his saga, and how he did cross lives with others important to him beyond this room.

Ever fleeting glances of this man's life is the play's basic structure. We meet Charlie, a teacher of sorts, who focuses intensely on written reports and the personal feelings of student(?) readers telling the impact of their readings. Charlie's life seems little more than reviewing the reports, and avoiding death daily. We witness a chest attack, & his inability to do much--especially alone. Just dropping a cell-phone or remote control can cut him off from the outside world. Fortunately, by luck, Elder Thomas, a young Mormon missionary comes to the door and though Charlie refuses calling an EMT, he does call Thomas in, begging him to read a few written pieces. Strangely, this calms the near death attack until Charlie's dearest live supporter, Liz next comes--to bring foods, do chores & visit. Soon Charlie's ok for another day -- although he blatantly again refuses any hospitals, despite Liz's deeply caring/begging him to reach for help. As the play moves on, we see more key people appear, first Charlie's teen daughter Ellie from his first marriage, then his ex-wife, Mary (Ellie's mother). Each person arrives and the play's sharp dialog exposes more enlightening insights into Charlie's past life & the key people in the years. I won't identify each past person or event, as that would expose the key twists & turns in Charlie's life paths. It's enough to say that from the playwright's viewpoint, witnessing his past life changes, losses and heartfelt impacts, are enough for us to understand Charlie paths to the present.

Rest assured, though the play presents mainly heart-heavy past life events of character seen, or just mentioned, playwright Hunter shows an undeniable ability of inserting lots of laugh-bringing dialogs, with many smiles. Director Benson is about as good as I've seen in getting the most laughter & guffaws available. Indeed, we chuckle more of the time of this 1-3/4 hour, no-breaks show. Bravo! But, and it's a very BIG BUT (no pun intended on Charlie's, backside, or I'd have spelled it BUTT). The "but" of the show's intensity is that even dozens of flying by laughs throughout, they ultimately are no match for the central & final crushingly sad LIFE-SAGA uncovered. Today's deep hurt & scars are evidence that Charlie's current (& future declarations) of life decisions & choices, overwhelm the laughs. Past pains and lost "might-have-been" anguish, illness (& death of some people now gone, seem to triumph (?). The playwright's last minute cries-out are a demanding plea for us to see a "true?" hopefulness that the script has Charlie explain. But has the damage to the play's characters already has poured truckloads of hopeless pain virtually everyone? The "hopeful" "late" explanation is quite well written, and finely acted. But it lacks new behavior. Is it too late to unleash a bag of IOU's, rather than a bag of sanity? It's a Nice-Try, but just too lacking in real kindness & caring NOW. When little is changed in Charlie's mind & behavior (from his own words on who he's dedicated to), the one(s) who he truly owes years of appreciation to (who reached out to help for so long), still seem in the shadows of Charlie's mind. The play was very well received in the production I attended, except for a tell tale brief silence at the last seconds...guessing Is That It? ...Only then the applause.

The five solid cast members show nary a flaw, nor sag. Matthew Arkin tackles the tough, challenging role of Charlie who is a physical giant, immersed in very bad health & very complicated life. It's fine that he looks at many things his own way, but his damage from facing past unacceptances make him only narrowly care/do much for others, even those who cared/helped him most (I wouldn't give "narrow" Charlie a Kleenex). Arkin's striking gem of a portrayal makes this all believable, the size, oddness & ethics the role demands. Blake Lindsey delivers the dearest, warmly emotional performance, and the most welcome, to me, not because the other actors aren't splendid, too, but Lindsey's selfless giving and caring for Charlie is not only superbly acted, but like comic relief, Lindsey provides a "Warmth & Caring Relief" like fresh water on a desert of excuses of helping only others carrying a tuff life "whoa-is-me-card". She helps Charlie because she really likes him as a person. He barely returns anything. Wyatt Fenner is wonderfully funny & a comedic hoot as the Mormon Missionary at the door. Thanks to his acting range, he shows his equally real caring for those he calls upon, he claims no magic in himself, only faith to introduce you to a higher power who can & will help you. Whether we belief his religion, his role shines with caring and trying. Helen Sadler energetically plays Ellie, Charlie's daughter, as a dazzling difficult teen. Living with her mom, Mary (Charlie's ex-wife), Ellie's becoming a sharpshooter of wisecracks and put-downs. She's, not realistically building her practical future & not making friends.  Jennifer Christopher surprises us entering late in the script. She's a pretty, younger-looking woman, who convincingly doesn't show hate for Charlie, but tries hard to explain to him that Ellie's behavior will harm her education & future. At seeing Ellie's report he praised graded "F" Charlie still vows he owes all that's him to Ellie. Huh? Is that the needed gift of guidance from a father? Mom knows!

=>Whale Captivates SCR Argyros Stage 600 Town Ctr Dr, Costa Mesa. Sched: Tues-to-Sun eves at 7:45pm, Sat & Sun matinees @ 2:00pm Closes Mar 31. Tkts: $20-$70/student,/teacher/senior/group discounts. (714) 708-5555  or   Online-  www.scr.org