The flowers of Columbia are like the women in the theatres of Columbia. Every stage of their growth has its own beauty, but the last phase is always the most glorious. And after two-years of growing this phenomenal theatrical flower, Silhouette Stages is finally ready for their production of Calendar Girls to bloom upon the stage in all of its radiant glory. Directed by Conni Trump Ross, this heartwarming, evocative play by Tim Firth is the perfect way for Silhouette Stages to welcome back audiences to live, in-person theatre.
Tackling a show that’s set in Knapeley Village, Yorkshire brings with it the daunting challenge of tackling and maintaining a variety of English accents. Dialect Coach Claire Sherman does her best and for the most part out of most of the women you get something that’s passably ‘English’ and occasionally distantly reminiscent of the Yorkshire sound. Some performers have a better consistency with their accents than others, but the important thing to note here is that while the accents may fade away a bit, the consistency of where on the British Isle they’re from may meander, nobody’s accent gets in the way of their performing or the audiences’ ability to understand them.
The interior of the church hall atop the hill for the Knapeley WI is a deceptively simple looking set, designed by Rebecca Hanauer and Douglas Thomas (and their construction crew: Stephen Foreman, Seth Harkins, Chris Mobley, Debbie Mobley, Terry Muldoon, Jerry Pelch, Bill Pond, Julie Press, Conni Trump Ross, Mark Scanga, Keira Seargeant, Neal Townsend, Angie Townsend, Chris Turner.) Don’t be fooled by its simple framework; its cozy interior and bland walls do their job of letting these spirited women take all the focus every time they’re on stage. And when it comes to blossoming talent, the sunflowers are radiating out of Bill Pond’s magical set-painting talents, which get showcased at the conclusion of the production. Lighting Designer Charles Danforth deserves a nod of praise for the spectacular gobo special he uses at the end of the production as well, but also for the individual spotlights featured during the ‘letter reading’ moments.
If there’s one complaint to be had about the production, meandering accents notwithstanding, it’s that there are one or two scenic changes— the most notable being between scene three/four and scene four/five in the first act— linger in soundless darkness and could do with some interstitial music. This might be chalked up to a missed audio cue (opening night jitters, two years without having to remember how to run the lighting and sound board, etc.) as there were other scenic transitions that flowed smoothly and had music underscoring them so that the audience wasn’t distracted. But these instances aside, the show moves swiftly and quickly through most of its scenes. (The badminton scene between Ruth and Marie could use a kick in the pacing department, but again it’s so minor that it doesn’t truly detract from the overall joy of the production.)
Costumes and Props become an intrinsic part of any show, but in Calendar Girls they’re special. Costume Designer Lynn Kellner and Properties Masters Jessie Krupkin, Donna Hawkes, and Angie Townsend bring the whole of the show together, particularly when it comes time for the girls to do their calendar photo shoot! The props in this scene alone are both hilarious and tasteful. And the costumes seen throughout the production showcase the ladies in all sorts of glamourous and silly looks. Lyn Kellner deserves kudos for the gerbil-cat-hamster-ferret-bunny costume seen during the Spring Fête as well as all the Victorian-Dickensian (and naughty-not-so-Dickensian) costumes that the ladies display during the second scene of the first act.
Director Conni Trump Ross truly has something special on her hands. Getting to the heart of the show while still fully integrating the joys, the hilarity, and the humor to be found in a script like Calendar Girls is no easy feat, but it is one that Ross succeeds at like sparkling rays of sunshine. Finding that balance between the emotional gravity of the more serious moments and the exacerbating comedy of the laugh-out-loud moments, Ross strikes equilibrium with this wonderful piece and has a strong, solid cast to support her vision. The pacing is quite tight throughout most of the production, the emotions— and there is a full bouquet of them— ranging from all of the performers feel authentic, and everything sort of falls into place like a picturesque scene on a bright and sunshining day.
Believe it or not there are women in the production who aren’t apart of the “Alternative WI Calendar” group. Brenda (Terry Chambers Muldoon), Elaine (Mary Guay Kramer), and Lady Cravenshire (Kathy Marshall) are three such women. Muldoon’s character is the quirky odd-sod meant to give those dull-as-ditchwater talks at the WI, and she succeeds in providing humor-fuel for the goofy gals in attendance. Kathy Marshall, is the epitome of some senior figurehead to whom one must bow, scrap, and toady, and her mannerisms are not unlike a certain Monarch of England. Mary Guay Kramer, as the cosmologist, has but a fleeting moment on stage, but it’s most unforgettable as her facial expressions do lots of talking when her mouth does not in her one-on-one scene with the Ruth character.
And while Calendar Girls is called so, there are some men filling out the ranks in the production. Completely removed from ‘WI Life’ in Knapeley, Neal Townsend steps into the scene as Liam, the upstart television producer and his physical affectations give the audience a good chuckle. Jeff Dunne, as Rod— husband of Chris— has a decent hold on his semi-brogue-Irish accent and a good sense of comic timing. It’s Robert Howard who draws the eye as photographer Lawrence, bouncing up and down to a fabulous beat when getting all excited about the ladies and their photo shoot. Transitioning from jittery and nervous to a full-on over-the-top star, Howard really fills in the fun of the character. Keep an eye on Howard during the final scene of the first act; he adds a delightful pop of pizzazz to an already popping experience. Russell Wooldridge as John, Annie’s Husband, gives a remarkable performance, one that is truly touching and evocative. The moments Wooldridge shares with the Annie character and this his solo, spot-lit monologue, are earnest and open and meaningful.
What would a council of wayward, fun-loving women of a certain age be without their stalwart, stiff-upper-lipped ‘headmistress/marm’ type? Suzanne Young, as Marie, takes up that role with aplomb. Echoing the rigid, unyielding personality of the stereotypical humorless, unruffled elderly British woman, Young creates a great foil for all of the other women involved with the WI. Not without her quirks, and a delightful break in character toward the end, Young makes Marie the ‘internal enemy’, who isn’t really the enemy so much as she is the roadblock to hilarity and happiness. Mad props to Young’s ability to do a flawless floor fall at the end of the first act when she walks into the WI; that moment was too priceless for words.
The core six women form this bonded unit, mostly through giggling, laughing, and sharing the joys of living with one another. They’ve all got their troubles, they’ve all got their experiences, and they’ve all got— above all— each other. Director Conni Trump Ross has done a sensational job of bringing these women— Cheryl Campo, Debbie Mobley, Julie Press, Andrea Ostrowski Wildason, Ande Kolp, and Tatiana Dalton— together in this sororal bond of friendship that really helps them achieve something great. Even when they’re at odds or uncertain or going through something personal outside of the bigger scheme of things, you can feel their love and support of one another radiating off the stage in waves.
If you have to find one thing to fuss over in this group of women its that not all of them look mature enough to really fit into the societally-expected bracket of “women of a certain age.” And that’s easily forgivable on multiple fronts as not only do these women perform the hell out of their roles, there’s something to be said for the changing definition of that group of women in society; this is a point that gets mentioned by one of the characters in the show. But if this is biggest point of contention with the principal casting? Calendar Girls is way ahead of the game.
Each of the women brings a certain charm and delight to their role and this is particularly true of Andrea Ostrowski Wildason in the role of Jessie. From her speech about why she’s willing to go ‘all in’ with the calendar shoot to the hilarious fun she has mucking about during the shoot-scene itself, Wildason is lively and engaged with everything happening on the stage all around her. Her defining moment truly is the aforementioned speech on what’s expected of women of a certain age and when she delves into it, you’re taking that journey with her, living in the Jessie character’s skin with her.
When it comes to showing off, Ande Kolp as Celia has got all the cards. In the “who’s sexier” showdown of Christmas costumes in the second scene between the Celia character and the Chris character, Kolp isn’t afraid to strut her stuff. And when it comes to her time with the shoot, Kolp truly captures that enigmatic charisma of smiling and being silly and having a great time. Finding her own inner strength, we get a real blazing speech loaded with passion when Kolp’s character tees off at the mouth about golf, venting her frustrations in an all-too relatable manner.
At the center of the plot is dear, sweet Annie (Julie Press) who perhaps has more to offer in her character’s emotional gravitas than in the frillier hilarious moments assigned to the other characters. The sincerity with which Press settles into the character’s emotional challenges is striking and beautiful and the raw feelings that she brings forward are palpable and relatable. Of course, when she pops off to the tea-cupboard for her scene in the photo shoot, it’s a real delight and a scream! Not without her humorous moments, you can see the unadulterated joy breaking out over Press’ face in moments of sheer delight and happiness; Press owns the character and makes the Annie experience relatable to everyone watching.
What group of gals would be complete without a little saucy singing and jazzy mood? The WI girls have Cora (Cheryl Campo) for such a component. Campo has a tremendously powerful voice and its beautiful too. While this production of Calendar Girls isn’t a musical (the musical version can currently be found running in London’s West End), Campo brings this uplifting musical sound to several moments throughout the performance. When she explains ‘jazzing’ things up and how that juxtaposes poorly with the connotation of being ‘the Vicar’s daughter’, you really get a deep insight to the Cora character. Campo is hilarious on stage, really nailing her comedic moments, and giving the audience an extra burst of delight with her voice.
Not the brightest bulb in the box, Ruth (Tatiana Dalton) is the epitome of an overly-eager apologetic mouse who just wants to keep the peace, not rock the boat, or upset the apple cart. Dalton finds a fabulous way to bring an electrifying life to this meager character who is both meek and mild mannered, right up until she isn’t. Dalton, whose accent is one of the more consistent ones in the production, has this bubbly bouncy energy inside of her just dying to get out— you won’t be able to take your eyes off of her antics with the “mammal-of-questionable-origin” costume during the ‘Spring Fête’ scene. And when it comes time for the photo shoot— Dalton’s physical body language leading up to her picture as well as her vivacious facial expressions add to the sheer hilarity and uproarious joy over that overall scene. The true grounding moment for Dalton’s character— earning her a much-deserved ovation from the audience— is her brief interaction with Elaine the Spa Cosmologist. That striking moment when mouse becomes more is one that Dalton truly owns and is one that so many people can relate to unabashedly.
While the story is Annie’s, the driving and often antagonizing force comes from Chris (Debbie Mobley.) Everybody has that one friend that they should not be allowed to sit next to at serious functions? In this show that’s Debbie Mobley’s Chris. Zesty, plucky, full of chutzpah enough for ten women, Mobley is true grit in its rawest form and she’s constantly cracking the audience and her on-stage co-stars into hilarious laughter. Not without her moments of true, deep honesty, Mobley finds a way to navigate through this complex character and bring us a radical performance. At the top of the second act, her impassioned speech about just what she’d do to stop cancer is so moving it brings many to tears. And of course her antics during the photo shoot cannot go without copious praising. When she’s trying to dig her way out of trouble with Lady Cravenshire, all eyes are on her shenanigans and Mobley brings such a caustic but cute burbling crossfire to every interaction she has with Marie. All round, Debbie Mobley is the perfect vessel for Chris, particularly in that final WI meeting when she comes back as she does.
Don’t make the fatal mistake of confusing naked with nude. There’s tasteful, artistic nudity aplenty in Silhouette Stages’ Calendar Girls. Don’t make the fatal mistake of failing to get tickets before they sell out this run; this show is a much-needed, uplifting relief, welcoming everyone back to live theatre this season.
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with one intermission
Calendar Girls plays through April 3, 2022 with Silhouette Stages currently at Slayton House Theatre in the Village of Wilde Lake Columbia— 10400 Cross Fox Lane in Columbia, MD. For tickets please call the box office at (410) 216-4499 or purchase them in advance online.
To purchase an official Silhouette Stages Calendar Girls calendar, click here.
To read the interview with Director Conni Ross, click here.
