The Fourth Walsh

Redtwist Theatre presents HOW TO TRANSCEND A HAPPY MARRIAGE.

Paul and George have been best friends with Jane and Michael for years. The couples enjoy sharing meals, playing scrabble and discussing their kids’ antics. Their lives lean hard toward the predictable. When Jane’s office acquires a temp, the friends are intrigued by the woman’s free spirit. She is in a committed relationship with two men. The foursome decide to invite the temp’s thrupple to a NYE party. Curiosity, fueled by alcohol and drugs, leads to an uninhibited night of self-discovery. Can marriages or friendships survive a dance on the wild side?

   Playwright Sarah Ruhl penned an evocative story. The hilarious first act has ordinary people broaching the taboo. The dialogue is razor sharp. Under the masterful direction of Elizabeth Swanson, the ensemble deliver both organic humor and angst with gusto. The couples: Carlos Trevino (Paul), Tatiana Pavela (George), Monique Marshaun (Jane) and Joe Zarrow (Michael) are believable as spouses and friends. Dialogue overlaps. Jabs are understated. Annoyance is only partially hidden. The married friends’ thing seems legit!

Cue the newcomers: Shaina Toledo (Pip), Joshua Servantez (David) and William Delforge (Freddie). From their entrance, the trio display a tender, earnest partnership. Servantez and Delforge help Toledo take off her coat and her shoes. Each’s affection for the other two is apparent and subtly natural. Drinks are poured. Brownies distributed. Pleasant chit-chat turns into probing questions revealing secret longing that ignites a sequence of events.

Swanson, along with Movement and Intimacy Director Sarah Scanlon, throw a madcap party! The first act climaxes in unrepressed mayhem until an abrupt and disturbing stop. Ruhl then pulls back on the reins for act two. It’s the clean-up after the rager ends. The tempo is somber. Pavela has a more central role as she grapples with her own sexuality and her role as wife, friend, mother, and aunt. Her vulnerability is heartbreaking as she picks up the pieces from past choices and attempts to cobble together a future. An emotional Pavela, Trevino, Marshaun and Zarrow have an uneasy and meaningful conversation. Their synergy is palpable.

HOW TO TRANSCEND A HAPPY MARRIAGE explores marital unmentionables. Ruhl pushes all the buttons. Her play is primed for reaction. And if you see it with a partner, you’re in for an interesting ride home!              

Running Time: Two hours includes an intermission.

At Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr

Written by Sarah Ruhl

Directed by Elizabeth Swanson

Movement directed by Sarah Scanlon

Performances are:

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 7:30 PM

Sundays at 3:30 PM

Thru September 21

For more information or tickets

Production photos by Tom McGrath Photography

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