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| Photo by David Kinder |
The Art of Becoming…
This one-act play
with music about Tammy Wynette, is written by Donnie and directed by Donald
Horn. It is playing at their space at
1785 NE Sandy Blvd. (free parking lot next to the building) through February 18th. For more information, go to their site at www.trianglepro.org or call 503-239-5919. (Masks still required because of Covid).
“What a piece of work is Man….” We are all, according to the Bard of Avon et. al., made up of multiple components and all seeking, in one way or another, our purpose in this world...why are we here?! When we reach the Golden Years, what is our legacy…what are our regrets…our triumphs…and, if we had it to do all over again, what, if anything, would we change?!
These questions and
more are all contained in this short, beautifully, and subtly constructed show,
by Horn. It occurs on the night Tammy
Wynette (Danielle Valentine), famous country-western singer/writer, has died in
1998 of a heart attack at 55. But she
seems to have one more mission to complete before her passage to her Eden
beyond…to see that her story is told.
And so she appears
to a local drag queen, John (Jeremy Anderson-Sloan), whose specialty happens to
be impersonating…you guessed it…the immoral, Tammy. She tells of her roots, of working the cotton
fields, waiting on tables, beautician, etc. and of her failed, many marriages
and kids who missed having a “normal” mom around to raise them, and the abuse
she endured and addictions she had. But
then there we her successes in music, most notably “Stand By Your Man.”
And Valentine does
Tammy proud, with the renditions of many of her songs. Some of my favorites are her opening number,
the caressingly presented (like flowing down a lazy river) of, “You and
Me.” And “Bedtime Stories” is touching,
and the heart-felt, “Dear Daughters,” which will bring a tear to even the most
stalwart of us. She can also belt, too,
when called for. A lovely performance!
And Anderson-Sloan
rings out a couple numbers him self in a rich voice and even does a duet with
her. The most striking thing about the
style of the production, is that it is captivating, not because it comes on as
a brassy, typical show-biz presentation, but precisely because, it
doesn’t! You feel as if you might be in
an intimate setting with these two, as they gently weave tales in songs and
stories of lives lived. Much credit must
go to Horn, in his company’s 33 season, and I only wish him another 33 years of
success, like this one!
I highly recommend
this show. If you do see it, please tell
them Dennis sent you.
--DJS
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