Faye Schorsch (JoBeth Williams) is lost in her own misery. Her only daughter Rachel (Deborah Puette) can’t stand the sight of her, and her son commits suicide. Traveling to retrieve her son’s body, Faye dives deeper into her psychosis and reveals unpleasant truths about herself. Mislabeled as a dark comedy, The Fall to Earth suffers from unbelievable situations, but saves itself with impeccable acting and fleshed-out characters.
Troubled by far-fetched scenes, The Fall to Earth occasionally becomes disjointed and awkward. Reality is stretched to accommodate the scene, rather than to underline the bizarre circumstances in which our lead actors find themselves. After Faye beats Rachel for recounting a story that belittles her younger brother, Rachel stays in the room and calmly divulges a trivial secret to her mother. In addition to stunting the play’s progress, the tender scene is misplaced, causing the action to dither in an unforgiving liminal space.
Although certain elements of the script lacked plausibility, the playwright Joel Drake Johnson aptly develops his characters. The three women all sport a distinct personality, yet all are connected by a motherly instinct. As the play progresses, more is disclosed about each character, creating a sense of familiarity. This feeling results in empathy even when the actresses’ harsh actions are cruel and intolerant.
Because of Johnson’s talent for writing a comprehensive back story, the trio was not left wanting for rich characters. Without exception, all three actresses brilliantly shined, showcasing their natural strengths for dramaturgy. However, the best performance of the night belonged to Ann Noble who played Terra Reed. Both a mother and a policewoman, Reed has many shoes to fill, and. Noble gives her role depth by portraying Reed as gentle, severe and motherly. In addition to creating wonderful idiosyncrasies, Noble excels in driving the play forward through fostering a realistic bond with the other actresses.
Labeling The Fall to Earth as a dark comedy, Johnson has done a disservice to the play. The plot constitutes a drama with hilarious vignettes, not a comedy sprinkled with black humor. Slowly realizing that she has no one left in the world, Faye cannot hold herself together any longer as the stability of her mental state begins to unravel. Her situation is no laughing matter, but her mannerisms and topics of conversation are. As such, The Fall to Earth jarringly, not uproariously, demonstrates the result of an absent family and a lacking support system.
Stumbling over some of its scenes, The Fall to Earth features characters that are fresh, evolving and familiar. Williams, Puette and Noble’s portrayals add to the audience’s intimacy with the play, but the acting can barely overcome the play’s drawbacks.
Playing at the Odyssey Theatre, The Fall to Earth will continue its run until April 1. Tickets cost $25, and the theater is located at 2055 South Sepulveda Blvd. in Los Angeles.
Natalia Evdokimova has been involved with theater throughout her life and has reviewed theatrical productions for local and citywide publications since 2005.
