Theatrical Review: Trying

Written by: Joanna McClelland Glass
Directed by: Scott E. McIntosh and Midge McClosky
Theatrical Review by: Paul Adam Smeltz

The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee on the Delaware, PA presented The SCOMC (i.e. SCO-tt MC-Intosh) Production of “Trying” by Joanna McClelland Glass. The play takes place in the office of Francis Biddle (as portrayed by Scott E. McIntosh) which was located in a room above the garage of his Washington DC home and evolves around the relationship between Biddle and his secretary Sarah Schorr (whose name is a pseudonym for the author who served in that position from late 1967 to mid 1968 and is portrayed by Midge McClosky) toward the end of his life.

Francis Beverley Biddle was known as a brilliant attorney who served as Attorney General of the United States under President Franklin D. Roosevelt and as the Primary American Judge during the Nuremberg Trials soon after the end of WWII. Towards the end of his life, he found it more difficult to maintain the cognitive alertness he was well known for along with being afflicted with several health related conditions common to 81 year old men. Understandably, he experienced feelings of frustration and anger with his everyday life as he continued to lose his command over his faculties. The arrival of the Sarah Schorr character helps illustrate these feelings as it holds a mirror to the maladies Biddle suffers from.

The Francis Biddle character’s pain is often too overwhelming for him and the desire to alleviate it becomes an all consuming desire. As with many with similar conditions such as Alzheimer’s or Dementia, the remedy is to inflict the pain one is experiencing onto others. In other words, hurt people hurt people. Throughout the play, Biddle hurls one contentious blow after another towards his secretary while she does her best to understand the separation between him and his condition while maintaining her own sense of dignity as expressed in the line, “There is some shit I will not eat.”

The play, “Trying” is a simple play that is well written and explores the dynamics of the relationships between those touched with such conditions like Alzheimer’s or Dementia and their caregivers. The production itself is well acted and remains faithful to the content and themes of the play. This is especially true during some very sensitive scenes which were played with a certain subtly that made them real and recognizable to anyone who has elderly parents or people in their lives who suffers from the conditions I mentioned earlier in this review. It’s a play worth watching and it’s the recommendation of this reviewer that one does so.

The SCOMC Production of “Trying” by Joanna McClelland Glass was directed by Scott E. McIntosh and Midge McClosky who also serves as The Shawnee Playhouse Executive Director. David Schappert operated the Light and Sound Board Operator while Kathy McIntosh served the production as a Stagehand and Amy Cramer Designed the program. In addition to whose participation in the production already mentioned, special thanks were given to Sharon Fish, Erica Stripp, Kevin Hillman, The Shawnee Presbyterian Church, The Poplar Valley Methodist Church, The Shawnee Playhouse Technical Staff, and The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort. All of the productions presented at The Shawnee Playhouse are produced by Ginny and Charlie Kirkwood. The group sales manager is Mary Horn and Becky Haskell serves as the playhouse’s Sales and Marketing Director.

The SCOMC Production of “Trying” continues its run until May 27th. Future presentations at The Shawnee Playhouse will include their productions of “They’re Playing Our Song” running May 30th to September 1st, “Forbidden Broadway’s Greatest Hits” running June 15th to September 2nd, and “Cats” running June 29th to August 25th. Please contact The Shawnee Playhouse at 570-421-5093 or Explore their website at www.theshawneeplayhouse.com for more information and to reserve your ticket.

Those who enjoy the Passionate Art Lover level of membership in The Forwardian Arts Society are offered a $3.00 discount off the admission fee of The Shawnee Playhouse Feature and Headline Productions.

Photograph provided by The Shawnee Playhouse.