Review: ‘Becky’s Car’ in high gear at Andrews Hall
Becky Foster, portrayed by Melissa Claire in “Becky’s New Car,” is stalled, out of gas. An overworked mother with her carefree youth disappearing in the rearview mirror, she’s at a crossroads, and there’s no GPS to help.
The comedy, waxed and shined by Sonoma Arts Live, plays Andrews Hall through June 25.
“We’ve all been where she is now,” Claire says of her character. “Life seems good, things are fine, but there’s something missing. Did we settle too soon? Do we have any chances left?”
As directed by Carl Jordan, the staging is a marvel of simplicity. With expert lighting, adjacent areas of the stage become different locations, some with no adornment other than one-liners and body language. And as for the fourth wall, Claire drives through it like a yellow light. She not only addresses the audience, she pulls members on stage to help her get dressed.
Claire’s Becky is ditzy but a deep thinker, and she shares with the audience – through asides and exaggerated double-takes – exactly what’s she’s going through.
Mugging shamelessly, Claire is an excellent physical comedian. If Lucille Ball is too old a reference, how about Debra Messing? Frazzled, unselfconscious, charming… you’d hug her but she might spill something on you.
“I identified deeply with Becky the first time I read the script,” Claire said. “When you are a middle-aged woman, you often feel a battle between how society defines you and how you define yourself.”
The rest of the cast is altogether strong. Matt Witthaus as Joe, is a muscle car of a husband who shows surprising depth in the second act. As the unlikely man tempting Becky into an affair, Mike Pavone is very funny as the soft-spoken, rather spacey Walter; he’s a used Buick to Joe’s Camaro.
Serena Elize Flores, Stephen Dietz, Katie Kelley and Michael Temple are all fine, each with their own comic quirk. It’s the sign of a maturing theater company to have such a strong supporting ensemble.
Performances on the Rotary Stage are Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sundays. Tickets are available at Sonomaartslive.org or 866.710.8942.
— Val Robichaud
Photo of Melissa Claire by Miller Oberlin/Oberlin Photography
