November 16, 2007
Mark Act II Playhouse's "Hate Mail" as a Priority to See
Theater: Act II Playhouse
Show Title: Hate Mail
Opened: November 13, 2007
Seen: November 15, 2007
Reviewer: Amy Lewis
Submitted: November 15, 2007
A love story where the two lovers barely look at each other called Hate Mail. It might not sound like a Meg Ryan vehicle, but don’t be fooled – Hate Mail gives its audience all of the warmth and feel-good factors they seek in a romantic comedy and does it with intelligence.
At the heart of the story are two people who long for love but have major personal obstacles standing in their way. Preston is a rich, well-educated Mid-Westerner with a good heart but too many privileges and too little worldly wisdom. Dahlia has street smarts but fears intimacy. As the two maneuver their way from love to hate and hate to love, a fascinating journey of tolerance, forgiveness and redemption (written by a real-life married couple) unfolds.
With a script full of polysyllabic vocabulary and artistic cultural references, Hate Mail runs the risk of sounding over-written and unbelievable. Fortunately, Act II commissioned the talents of Charlotte Northeast and Damon Bonetti (who happen to be married in real-life as well) to play the frustrated lovers. Both do so with such success that they manage to create a strong connection despite having their backs to each other for the majority of the show.
Northeast and Bonetti articulate with textbook clarity on stage, never dropping a consonant or clipping a vowel. Rather than come off as stage school diction gone mad, this choice suits the characters perfectly, as both are well aware of their intelligence and fond of their own logic. The annunciation matches the words and vice versa, lending depth to the characters and believability to the script.
That, however, is not to say that Northeast and Bonetti are merely technical in their performances. Northeast creates a staunch external wall for Dahlia yet also allows her vulnerability to shine through the cracks. Dahlia, then, comes complete with an unspoken yet understood back story of caution born of previous pain.
Bonetti hits one comedic homerun after another, instilling lovely and hilarious idiosyncrasies into Preston, but simultaneously revealing a big heart full of warmth and longing for affection. Preston, as a result, is elevated from a pompous fool into a loveable and endearing protagonist for whom the audience can happily root.
Pair these excellent and thoughtful performances with a playhouse that specializes in clever, heart-felt direction and execution and Hate Mail excels. David Stradley’s direction is intelligent, making the production seem like two separate one-person shows, yet connecting them in such as way as to create genuine romance. The physical distance between Dahlia and Preston forces the audience to listen to the words being spoken and contemplate their meaning and subtext, giving the piece great impact.
The set is ingenious as well, with two walls, each containing several little doors, serving multi-functional purposes. As the doors are opened, the audience and characters are transported to different times and places with no ambiguity as to why they are being taken there. This allows the action, like the romantic rollercoaster careening on stage, to move at lightning-speed without losing a bit of clarity.
Hate Mail at Act II Playhouse offers the charm and delights of some of the most beloved romantic comedies minus the saccharine. The script is razor-sharp, the performances are heart-felt and well-developed and the production smart as a whip. Neither rain, nor sleet nor snow should keep one away from this first-class package.
Filed under Act II Playhouse, Comedy by phillygirl79
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