by Macey Levin
Into Kilnsea, a small village in northern England, a stranger enters the local cafe and changes life for four lost souls. The opening of Big Big Sky by Tom Wells at Chester Theatre Company, Chester, Massachusetts, may sound familiar as a story-telling device as it evolves into a charming story told with great sensitivity but it is one that satisfies the soul.
Ed (Abuzar Farrukh,) in his early 20’s, has traveled to the town in preparation for a job interview the next day as a conservationist tending to the safety of Terns. The cafe is owned by Angie (Meghan Maureen McDonough) with the assistance of Lauren (Hero Marguerite,) a part-time employee. It is a seasonal business. Lauren’s dad Dennis (James Barry) is a daily visitor fed by Angie.
There is no certainty that Ed will get the job. He appears to be highly unqualified for the it except for his passionate love of nature and respect for wildlife. Dennis has suddenly opened an AirBnB as Lauren has just moved out of the house she has shared with her father and, to her astonishment Ed is about to move into her space. She is a nineteen- year-old folk singer hoping to build a career while still grieving the loss of her mother. Dennis, the grieving widower, is preparing for a photography competition concentrating on birds; he is not well-prepared for the task but is competing with a newcomer in order to regain his equilibrium and self-esteem. He seems oblivious to everyone else’s pain. Angie, the saddest of the group, still mourns the loss of a daughter while she continues to march on as a caregiver for others.
Over a year’s span they evolve into a virtual family. When we first meet Ed he is a bit on the rambunctious side. As he becomes involved in the town his demeanor changes along with his job responsibilities. Dennis’s failure at photography frustrates him until he learns how to use a digital camera, something he has refused to do. Angie has decided to close the cafe for good, with no concrete plans for the future. Lauren is nursing grudges and unfinished emotional business with her father. Much of the decisions they make are influenced by the natural elements that surround their coastal life which extends to familial structure, relationships and the ebb and flow of the sea and seasons; there is a natural rhythm.
Directed by James Warwick, the play moves at a comfortable tempo. There are moments of drama that could be melodramatic, but the pace is controlled so that the events, conflicts and resolutions are human and real. The stage pictures are nicely created giving each character emphasis for his or her significant scenes.
McDonough’s Angie is, at first, stoic then seamlessly evolves into a warm and strong woman. Her delivery of the line “I am still a mum…” is filled with pain and resolve. Marguerite’s guitar-playing, singing Lauren is the most complex character with an intense emotional scale in which she exhibits strength and gentility. Ed, as played by Farrukh, brings a sweet goofiness in the first scene that develops into a mature and loving force. Dennis, in comparison to the others is something of a cipher until his defenses crumble. Barry makes him both sympathetic and likable. The whole cast works masterfully together.
Scene Designer Ed Check’s cafe has a homey feel despite its small size while Lara Dubin’s lighting adds to that impression. Each costume designed by Christina Beam tells us something about the character. The scene transitions, in which the cast changes the set’s props, are covered by appropriate incidental music by Nathan Leigh.
To top things off, there is a terrific curtain call.
Big Big Sky is the last of Chester’s current and thirty-fifth season. It’s a superb finish for an adventurous theatre company.
Big Big Sky by Tom Wells; Director: James Warwick; Cast: Hero Marguerite(Lauren) Abuzar Farrukh (Ed) James Barry (Dennis) Meghan Maureen McDonough (Angie); Scenic Design: Ed Check; Costume Design: Christina Beam; Lighting Design: Lara Dubin; Sound Design: Nathan Leigh; Stage Manager: Nathaniel Bokaer; Assistant Stage Manager: Elie Berman; Assistant to the Director: Geneva Millikan; Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission; August 8 – 18, 2024; For tickets: www.chestertheatre.org (413) 354-7771