‘The Tin Woman’ tackles tough subject with heart, gentle humor
By Kris Rued-Clark
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PITTSVILLE — How does a family cope with the death of their son and older brother? And how does the recipient of his heart deal with knowing someone had to die for her to live? The play, The Tin Woman, does not depict the slow and arduous physical recovery from heart transplant surgery. Rather, it addresses deeper questions – questions that many might not consider until they are flung into such undesired territory.
The dramatic comedy, presented by Pittsville Area Community Theater (PACT), has its second and final weekend of performances July 19-21, at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, in the Pittsville Auditorium, 5459 Elementary Ave., Pittsville. Inspired by a true story and written by Sean Grennan, the play explores grief as well as survivor’s guilt.
Under the able direction of theatre veteran Roxie Wetterau, every cast member gives a stellar performance. One comes away with the impression that the play has been perfectly cast, feeling that each actor has truly inhabited the character she or he plays. Even the supporting actors, from the annoyingly-sweet hospital nurse (Connie Michalski) to Darla (Montana Smith-Frome), the goofy yet sincere friend of the heart’s recipient, sweep us into the illusion that these are real people we’re watching.
Two performances in particular stand out – Andrew Spencer, the deceased son Jack, and Rebecca Neal Niese as his bereaved mother, Alice. Spencer’s silent presence onstage through most of the performance is made all the more poignant by his reactions to the other characters and their inability to see or hear him. Niese plays the titular character, a tin woman who is grieving the death of her son, whose heart now beats in someone else.
Greg Jackan gives a convincing performance as the donor’s father, Hank, who copes with loss through alcohol. His disappearances and silent inability to acknowledge his emotions and discuss the family’s loss are punctuated by sullen outbursts at his wife and daughter.
Another stand-out performance comes from Carly Eileen Rhyner who plays Joy, the conflicted young woman who receives Jack’s heart. Joy is a graphic designer, moored in a corporate job with little room for artistic expression. Through conversations with her friend Darla, we learn why Joy cannot stand to be hugged. Her sarcastic sense of humor hides the pain and confusion she feels over why she is allowed to live and Jack had to die. In one scene, Joy cries out in anguish, “Why am I supposed to live? For who? For what?” Yet eventually she takes the time to write a letter to Jack’s family, thanking them for the opportunity to, not only survive, but thrive. She concludes, “I’m sorry that it comes at such a cost to you.”
Humorous moments scattered throughout the play bring much-needed relief from the gravity of the topic. Yet the play remains a powerful reflection on life and death, even when Jack’s little sister Sammy (Grace Engel) delivers a pre-school lesson on flowers that addresses their dying and turning to mulch, which then becomes the next generation of flowers.
With simple yet effective sets, the play takes place in the donor family’s dining room and living room, the recipient’s apartment, and most hauntingly, the cemetery where Jack is buried. A stone bench represents the gravesite, and it always remains in view, just as the silent presence of Jack’s ghost onstage never lets us forget. He is ever present with his family members and the recipient of his heart, even though they do not know he is there.
The play does not give us a happily-ever-after ending, for how is that even possible in the face of such terrible loss? It does, however, end on a hopeful note, a cathartic breakthrough that ever so slightly cracks open the door for healing to begin. When the nurse sends Joy home after her heart transplant, she exclaims, “Live your life!” This play reminds us all to live our lives with more awareness and appreciation, and to consider – while we still have the chance – the opportunity to provide a life-giving gift as an organ or tissue donor.
A post-show discussion for The Tin Woman will be held on Friday, July 19. Audience members will have the opportunity to question the cast and director about their creative process and discuss their experiences related to the play’s themes. The talk-back will begin approximately 10 minutes following the performance.