Berkshire on Stage

The theatre, the world, and life are at the core of Peter Sinn Nachtrieb’s complex play-within-a-play The Making of a Great Moment at Chester Theatre Company, Chester, Massachusetts.  

Terry Dean (Bill Bowers) and Mona Barnes (Esther Williamson) are an acting team whose company is named Victoria Columbia Bicycling Theatre Club.  They are on a world-wide tour currently in New Hampshire on their bikes appearing at retirement villages, social clubs… any place but a theatre, thanks to their manager Pauly.  A rival acting company that Pauly also manages has been hired by a major venue in Victoria and Terry is very suspicious about Pauly’s intentions.  

The vibrant Mona avers that people can change their lives and the world can get better thanks to the theatre. They debate the importance of the art form without reaching a mutual understanding except that they both love the theatre. This is the only thing Terry knows that gives definition to his life while Mona embraces its vitality and importance.  Though she believes in the importance of the play, she repeatedly evaluates her performance questioning her talent.   Irascible Terry downplays her enthusiasm as he bemoans his lack of success.

Interspersed with their frequent misadventures are scenes they perform from their four-hour play “Great Moments In Human Achievement,” a series of monologues and skits that dramatize human history from the beginning of time.  It focuses on the people, mostly fictional, who have made great strides towards moving mankind forward.   Along with the discovery of gunpowder we also meet Apendictus, the first surgeon; we see the discovery of the bicycle and the first person to taste a mushroom.  The most romantic accomplishment is when a royal couple learn how to kiss.

The actors perform the scenes by using props and costumes from a trailer attached to Terry’s bike.  They use fake accents, hats and scarves to create the different characters.  The skits are corny, simply written and very brief, but entertaining.  Most of the comedic moments in the play occur within these scenes.  However, the scenes are diversions as Mona and Terry debate the meaning of life and love.

Bowers and Williamson play beautifully with and off each other.  Their characters’   personalities complement the other’s persona without exaggeration or over-acting.  In the scenes when one or the other is central, they own the stage.  The strength of the play depends on the strength of the hard-working cast who succeed in making the play real and interesting, though it is a bit too long… not their fault.

As they ride their bikes there are projections on an upstage screen of rural roads suggesting they’ve been pedaling for great lengths of time.  It has a dramatic effect.  Matt Whiton who created this projection also designed the set.  Charles Schoonmaker’s costumes for the skits are colorful and, in some cases, fun.  The light design by Lara Dubin is evocative of time and place especially during the short scenes.

Director James Barry keeps the play moving at a firm pace.  His staging on Chester’s relatively small stage is tight and economical.  The actors are real and endearing though they both have their cynical moments.

Chester Theatre Company has developed a powerful reputation for offbeat plays and solid story-telling.  This is Barry’s first production since he and his wife Tara Franklin became Co-Producing Artistic Directors.  It’s a good start to a new season.

The Making of a Great Moment by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb; Director: James Barry; Cast: Bill Bowers (Terry) Esther Williamson (Mona); Set/Projection Design: Matt Whiton; Costume Design: Charles Schoonmaker; Lighting Design: Lara Dubin; Sound Design: Tom Shread; Intimacy Direction: Corinna May; Stage Manager: Meg Lydon; Running time: 1 hour. 40 minutes, no intermission; 6/22/23 -7/2/23; 15 Middlefield Rd., Chester, MA 01011; www.chestertheatre.org; 413-354-7770