At a crossroads in ‘Becky’s New Car’
Have you ever had the impulse to flee your own life, to drop everything and run far away? The lead character in Steven Dietz’s new play sure does – she tries to speed away from it all in “Becky’s New Car.”
The comic metaphor, as waxed and shined by Sonoma Arts Live, pulls into Andrews Hall June 9-25.
The lead character, Becky Foster, is caught in middle age, middle management and in a middling marriage — with no prospects for change on the horizon, explains Dramaturg Mary Kay Gamel. “Then one night a socially inept and grief-stricken millionaire stumbles into the car dealership where Becky works. Becky sees opportunity for a new life, and the audience is offered a chance to ride shotgun as Becky dares to make some huge changes in her life.”
Directed by Carl Jordan, the production utilizes a set without walls, a world without constraint in which Becky cruises between locations, sometimes even venturing into the audience.
Jordan is a freelance director and choreographer working and living in the Bay Area. He comes from a professional dance background and has degrees in Musical Theater, Dance, and Drama. He is a four-time winner San Francisco Bay Area Critics Circle Award for Best Director, and a two-time winner of the Theater Bay Area Best Director Award.
For “Venus in Fur,” a SAL production seen on the Rotary, Jordan won a Theater Bay Area award for Best Direction.
“This is a delightful, life-affirming comic play about a woman pulled in two directions, romantically and socially,” says Jordan. “It is a deliciously devious romp ‘down the road not often taken.’”
Melissa Claire, who was last seen on the Rotary Stage as Vanda in “Venus in Fur” and won a SFBATCC Best Actor award for the part, stars as Becky in this quirky comedy.
“I identified deeply with Becky the first time I read the script,” says Claire. “When you are a middle-aged woman, you often feel a battle between how society defines you and how you define yourself.”
Stalled and out of gas. “We’ve all been where she is now. Life seems good, things are fine, but there’s something missing,” continues Claire. “Did we settle too soon? Do we have any chances left?”
Rounding out this cast are Mike Pavone as Walter, Serena Elize Flores as Ginger, Stephen Dietz (no relation to playwright) as Steve, Katie Kelley as Kenni, Matt Witthaus as Joe, and Michael Temple as Chris.
Performances are Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sundays. Tickets are available at Sonomaartslive.org, or by calling 866.710.8942 Monday through Friday.
To preview the production, Gamel, Research Professor Emerita of Classics, Comparative Literature, and Theater Arts at U.C. Santa Cruz, will lead the talk “She’s in the Driver’s Seat” on Wednesday, June 7, 6 p.m. at the Sonoma Valley Library.
Photos by Miller Oberlin\Oberlin PhotographySolo shots, Melissa Claire
Top, Melissa Claire, Serena Elize Flores and Katie Kelley.
Couple, Michael Temple and Katie Kelley
