Charles Dean, Kevin Rolston and Carrie Paff in the National New Play Network World Premiere of Sunlight at MTC. Photo by Ed Smith

SUNLIGHT by Sharr White and directed by Jasson Minadakis. Marin Theatre Company (MTC), 397 Miller Ave, Mill Valley, CA 94941. 415.388.5208 visit www.marintheatre.org. January 21 through February 14, 2010.

SUNLIGHT AT MARIN THEATRE BOASTS A SUPERB CAST

Sunlight is a world premiere of the play winning the 2009 Sky Cooper New American Play competition and receiving the prestigious Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award. Following this staging, it will travel to Arts West in Seattle, Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis, and the New Jersey Rep as part of the National New Play Network (NNPN) Rolling World Premiers.

Sharr White is to be admired for taking the dramaturgical challenge that too few playwrights would attempt by having the action-taking place during the course of hours with a minimal cast of four. The cast, though minimal in number are the crème-de-la crème of the San Francisco Bay Area, includes Charles Dean, Wanda McCaddon, Carrie Paff and Kevin Rolston. In those few hours, Sunlight dissects the tangled history of a family in Academia where the faculty is preparing to take a vote of “no confidence” against patriarch/egoist/politically liberal, Matthew (Charles Dean) who is the flawed president of a New England University.

In the post World Trade Center disaster, civil liberties were suspended and there were horrible physical attacks against those of Arabic descent or look as if they were Arabic. Amongst those tormented/beaten was a 15-year-old boy who died of his injuries. The political aspect of the play revolves around that specific incident and the politically expediency instigated by the legal system of our government allowing torture to secure information from suspected terrorist. Into this political background, interpersonal relationships unfold that involve Matthew’s lawyer daughter Charlotte (Carrie Paff), her estranged husband Vincent (Kevin Rolston) the Dean of the Law School and formerly Matthew’s protégé. Politically conservative Vincent has written Pentagon legal memos authorizing torture of suspected terrorists. This dichotomy of views leads to one of the cataclysmic endings. The other is dynamically involved with Charlotte having been in the World Towers when the collapse occurred. The island of sanity in this rant-filled household is Midge (Wanda McCaddon) Mathew’s loyal personal assistant. To describe further the intricacies of the storyline would be do a disservice. Be prepared to be confused at the end of act one and to be very appreciative that the plays questionable construction does not interfere with the volatile ending before the curtain descends.

Under Jasson Minadakis’s intense direction the majority of the play is a constant rant. Charles Dean finds multiple layers of character as Matthew, most often played with loads of histrionics. However, even when he dominates the stage, it is Carrie Paff’s nuanced performance that attracts our attention. Kevin Rolston does a very creditable job in his thankless role and his description of the “catastrophe” that has emotionally crippled Charlotte is stunning. Wanda McCaddon has perfect timing in her role that injects much needed humor at crucial moments. All this ranting takes place on a handsome set by J.B. Wilson of a home befitting a New England College president.

Running time under 2 hours with an intermission.

Kedar K. Adour, MD

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com