Isn’t it amazing the things we don’t know? Like that when a woman says she wants a new car, she really means she wants a new life! And you’re in for one heck of a ride with Becky’s New Car at Endangered Species Theatre Project this spring, settling into New Spire Arts in the heart of downtown Frederick. Directed by Rain Pryor, this oddly heartwarming farce, written by Steven Dietz, is just what everyone needs to shake up their end-of-winter-welcoming-spring routine. Funny and heartfelt and thoroughly well-performed, Becky’s New Car is a perfect night of live theatrical entertainment.
The black box setup inside New Spire Arts is deceptively simple for this production. Set Designer Cody James has used this spacing to the production’s advantage. Setting risers with various furnishings to delineate the various scenes—Becky’s office, Becky’s home, the car, the fancy house of Walter— and complimented by the illuminating practices of Lighting Designer Lindsey McCormick, James’ set makes the farcical humor of the play pop to life with ease. The title character spends a great deal of time doing the impossible- literally walking out of her house and into the office in the space of a half-step (think pre-work-from-home-days)— and this is achieved with hilarity because of the way James has arranged the play space. McCormick’s lighting design features a great deal of blue, which not only highlights the various moods swinging about throughout the production but draws a subtle focus to the watery setting and more fluid elements of the play’s plot.
Costumes are often overlooked in a ‘present-day’ non-fantastical or period piece because they’re generally just everyday street wear or nothing overly impressive. Dismissing them as such in this production would be a discredit to Costume Designer Rachel Smith, who has carefully cultivated a look for each of the characters and their unique personalities. Highlights include those outrageous boots seen on Kenni, the presto-chango dress featured on Becky, and the constricting suit that is choking the life out of Walter when we first encounter his character. (It’s a well-fitted suit but it looks like the type of stuffy business billionaire suit that cuts off all forms of inner life from its wearer.) A nod of praise goes to Properties Master Liz Long as well, with all of the little bits of things scattered here and there and everywhere, particularly the Cheerios that go flying, and the sugar-free diet Sprite in the fridge.
Director Rain Pryor keeps the show’s pacing at a push. It doesn’t feel rushed but it doesn’t drag, the dialogue exchanges feel organic; they are expedient when the farcical and humorous elements of the show are meant to shine and there is a refined, deceleration of delivery when more serious moments overshadow the show. Pryor has an exceptional cast on stage and everyone fits perfectly into their roles; it’s rare for this to be the case with any show, but the this particular cast under Pryor’s direction feels as if they’re reliving moments from their real life, as if they really were these individuals.
It’s a small cast, only seven performers and two of those seven aren’t featured until the second act, however this doesn’t detract from their impressive inclusion in the overall performance. Sasha Carrera as Ginger is channeling a beautiful amalgamation of the stereotypical rich woman of a certain age and a real woman who is trying to navigate life without wealth in and amongst the working class. While the role of Ginger feels almost superfluous to the production, Carrera’s performance makes the audience really take note of her, and thoroughly enjoy what she has to offer. As Kenni, Bri Houtman brings a rawness to the notion of being a billionaire’s daughter that is both refreshing and amusing. Her interactions with Chris (Corey Harris) are particularly engaging.
Playing the still-lives-at-home-whilst-making-a-career-of-being-a-student Chris, Corey Harris has such a finesse with his comic timing and execution that it really earns the laughs of the audience. Harris’ character is written to be esoterically steeped in psychology and that type of language in the context of this play could be perceived as condescending but the way Harris delivers it gives the audience this sense that he’s just hilarious awkward and wearing his newfound vocabulary like a security blanket. Harris’ interactions with both the Kenni character and the title character of Becky are quite impressive and fun to enjoy.
Offbeat is one word that might be used to describe the character of Steve (Dan Franko.) Spiraling out into a world of uncontrollable depression is another way of phrasing it, but no mater how you look at it, Dan Franko does an extraordinary job of captivating the essence of this character, particularly when he starts jumping to all sorts of conclusions. The defining moment of his character’s existence, however, comes early on when he goes off the rails with his “puppy story”, which is both disturbing and drives the audience to laughter, when he expresses it to Becky.
Joe (Dave Vane) has a blasé chill to his existence. Dave Vane captures that easy-going nature and brings it to the forefront of his portrayal, which seems like a ‘safe choice’ as far as character’s go, however, it makes the ending of the show— which kicks into high-gear and rolls so fast into scary-hilarity that if you blink you might find yourself thoroughly confused— feel really shocking because Vane’s character maintains that level of ease, letting everything just hit him and roll off of him like water off a duck’s back. Vane’s comedic exchanges with both Walter and Becky are priceless.
The Walter character is eccentric and strange and yet deeply relatable even if no one in the audience is a detached and aloof but well-meaning billionaire. William L. Thomas does a fine job of grounding the Walter character in the confines of his own peculiar reality. Grief-stricken, deeply perplexed about how to live life— the guy rolls into a car dealership well after hours without a clue what to get ten employees as a congratulation present that he needs for a big party in the morning and wants to buy them each a top-of-the-line luxury car— and overall just a well-dressed mess of a character, Thomas finds the rich wellsprings of emotional turmoil that give this Walter character some real depth. The expressions of his deeper emotions, particularly when discussing his late wife, are remarkable and given in earnest.
Christine Mosere is Becky. And not just in the sense that she’s playing Becky in the play called Becky’s New Car, but you really believe she is this woman whose life just spiraled out of control a little more quickly than she was able to manage all because of a simple misunderstanding. She’s affable and warm and welcoming; the play does this unusual thing where at times Becky is talking to us— the audience directly— but she knows that no one else can see or hear us despite her yen to interact with us. (If you’re luck you’ll get a can of soda pop! If you’re less luck you’ll get asked to do some office work— don’t do it! It’s a trap!) But there is a harried and frazzled center that guides all of Mosere’s actions both in scenes with the other actors and when she’s addressing the audience. She hasn’t had a meltdown, per say, but the notion of a ‘midlife crisis’ comes to mind and if one could express a midlife crisis perfectly in two hours’ stage traffic, Mosere is doing exactly that. The frenetic nature with which she’s churning and roiling through scenes is impressive to say the least and the emotions that keep exploding out of her characters interactions are wonderfully larger than life.
It is a wonderful experience. Becky’s New Car is a profound reminder that life can too easily become the story of a handful of people that we meet by chance and be distilled down to daily chaos and holidays but it should be so much more than that. An excellent night out, not to be missed this spring season!
Running Time: 2 hours with one intermission
Becky’s New Car plays through April 8, 2022 with Endangered Species Theatre Project at New Spire Arts— 15 W. Patrick Street in the heart of downtown Frederick, MD. For tickets please call the box office at 301-620-4458 or purchase them online.
