By Caitlin Strom-Martin
An interesting but uneven story about the intricacies of obsession is the Raven Players’ latest offering, Home, I’m Darling. The Caroline Clark-directed show runs through May 25 at the Raven Performing Arts Theater in Healdsburg.
Playwright Laura Wade’s Home considers what happens to a contemporary young married couple when they embark on a lifestyle change that revolves around immersion into the world of 1950s Britain. Will Judy and Johnny (Heather Berger and Christopher Johnston) lose societal respectability and a precious job opportunity in favor of wearing vintage clothes and driving a vintage car, all while running an expensive vintage refrigerator? Will the gloss and maintenance of such a specific life lead to a marriage in ruins? Keep calm and…it’s all neatly tied up at the end.
The ‘why’ of this arrangement is loosely explained by Judy and also hinted at in her Daddy complex, but not much else is explored, and the characters don’t get any deeper as the story unfolds. Not even a powerful monologue by Judy’s incredulous mother (played with funny harshness by Mary DeLorenzo) about the downfalls of relishing life in an austerity soaked, coal-dominated post-war England can muster much of a reaction from Judy.
I sincerely hope the ensemble will find their stride and timing once they’re deeper into the run, because it’s apparent that they’re all trying very hard to bring energy to a production that is hampered by glacial pacing and awkward staging. The weight of the dramatic material is often diminished by musical scene changes that, while charming at first, overstay their welcome.
I was imagining this play to be a darker, dystopian tale, where things go wildly off the rails, but, despite the compelling art deco setting (superbly done by designer Ron Nash), and the gorgeous costumes (by Jeanine Gray), the world that playwright Wade has Judy and Johnny existing in is all surface-level.
Berger has compelling moments and tries hard to carry this story, but too much of the focus that should be on her is lost by poor blocking choices, and she and Johnston don’t get enough time to explore their deeper connection.
Still, it is always worthwhile to support local theater, and check out new works that swing for the fences.
‘Home, I’m Darling’ runs through May 25 at the Raven Performing Arts Theater, 115 North St., Healdsburg. Thu–Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. $10–$25. 707.433.6335. raventheater.org.
