by Macey Levin
Girl with a Camera, is a world premiere by Byron Nilsson, produced by Constance Lopez and Lora Lee Ecobelli (both of whom are in the production) in collaboration with the Claverack (NY) Library and RARE Inc. and The Two Of Us Productions.
This is the story of Ivy Wilmot (Lopez) as she navigates a career in photo journalism from junior high school to middle age. She becomes a respected photographer whose work is seen in The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, Time Magazine and myriad national newspapers and magazines. Interspersed with her professional career is her personal story. Several flashbacks introduce others who have affected her professional and private life. The work has an intriguing through-line, but there are too many sub-plots that impede the development of her story.
The play begins with Ivy addressing an audience in the art gallery owned by Jeanne Morris (Linda Storms) commenting on a retrospective display of her work. Jeanne was her junior high teacher who becomes both a critic and a supporter. Ultimately, they are antagonists.
Ivy always has a camera with her thanks to the influence of her engineer father Julius, (Andrew Joffe). As a young student on a field trip she witnesses a robbery and takes a picture of the fleeing suspect that is published in the New York Daily News for which she receives a hefty payment. This catapults her into a new world that brings her fame amidst myriad conflicts.
One of her assignments is to photograph Marc French, (Jonathan Tarpy) a handsome, and very popular movie star. Their affair evolves into a problematic marriage and then divorce. Lester Borders (Steven Leifer), an FBI agent and a friend of Ivy’s father, whom he is investigating, has harbored an untold love for her over many years though he is engaged to be married and is substantially older than she. Nancy Rossetti (Ecobelli) is an editor for Harper’s Bazaar who buys one of Ivy’s photographs and becomes her mentor and life-long friend. Several of these characters interact with other members of the story, but the connection to the central story is tenuous.
Playwright Nilsson tells a sprawling tale following Ivy from her youth and well into middle age. As we follow her career through the mid-twentieth century she is witness to important historical events lending credibility to her story. The various plot lines complicate and diffuse the structure of the play which needs some editing to lend coherence to its development.
Lopez is onstage through virtually the entire performance. She plays the differing ages, even in flashbacks, skillfully, but her voice seemed to weaken in the second act making it difficult to understand some of her lines. On the whole, though, it is a strong and varied performance. Her father, who is conflicted about her profession and some of her personal decisions, is sensitively portrayed by Mr. Joffe as he weathers Ivy’s stormy life.
The teacher turned art gallery owner, Storms, and Ivy’s confidant, Ecobelli, lend depth and color to their characters as they advise and age along with Ivy. Tarpy as the actor and Leifer’s FBI agent have somewhat weaker roles. The parts are too one dimensional to allow the actors to grow.
Director Stephen Sanborn moves the play smoothly, but the central tensions of the written work are compromised by the several subplots and, therefore, weaken Ivy’s story and the forward progression of the play. The community room of the Claverack Free Library, where the play is staged, is relatively small with sight line difficulties, but Sanborn, who is also the technical director, efficiently utilizes the limited playing area.
The production company deserves a great deal of credit for bringing Nilsson’s play to life. Now he has to provide it a stronger core.
Girl With A Camera by Byron Nilsson; Director: Stephen Sanborn; Cast: Constance Lopez (Ivy Wilmot) Linda Storms (Jeanne Morris) Andrew Joffe (Julius Wilmot) Steven Leifer (Lester Borders) Lora Lee Ecobelli (Nancy Rosetti) Jonathan Tarpy (Marc French); Assistant Director: Constance Lopez; Technical Director: Stephen Sanborn; Costumer: Constance Lopez; Lighting and Sound Director: Stephen Sanborn
Running time: 2 hours, 15 Minutes, one intermission; May 9 – May 18, 2025; at the Claverack Free Library, 9 Route 9H in Claverack NY. For tickets and information go to www.TheTwoOfUsProductions.org; 518-329-6293