Getting Near To Baby: A Heartwarming Story at People's Light and Theatre in Malvern, PA

Theater: People's Light and Theatre
Show Title: Getting Near to Baby
Opened: March 27, 2008
Seen: March 29, 2008
Reviewer: Pat McGill
Submitted: April 3, 2008

The play takes place in a town in the south in the 1920’s. The story focuses on two girls who live alone with their mother. Their life has recently been turned upside down after the death of their baby sister. Their mother, who paints pictures for greeting cards, has resorted to just painting wild pictures and pictures of baby. There lifestyle has become unsanitary so the two girls Willa Jo and Little Sister go to live with their Uncle Hob and Aunt Patty.

Aunt Patty is a very strict person and likes things to go only her way. She sets out lots of rules for the girls and instantly there is conflict. After the death of baby, Little Sister won’t talk anymore and this really ticks off Aunt Patty. Uncle Hob also is constantly trying to make the girls happy while preserving some sanity in his wife. Throughout all this Willa Jo is also trying to make Little Sister talk and to be a good example for Aunt Patty so that Lucy Wainwright and her daughter Cynthia will approve. In the midst off all of this pressure the two girls find two friends that happen to be Aunt Patty’s neighbors, the Finger’s children, Liz and Isaac.

Well life goes on in the town and many characters undergo transformations as well as realizations, all leading up to the shocking ending where…

This story is one of mourning, happiness, as well as acceptance. It is a fantastic story for any family and I greatly suggest you go and see it.

The cast is phenomenal! Including Nathaniel Brastow who played Isaac Finger, Maggie Fitzgerald who played Little Sister, Clare Inie-Richards who played Willa Jo, Katie Johantgen who played Liz Finger, Susan McKey who was Lucy Wainwright, Christopher Patrick Mullen who was Uncle Hob, Meg Rose who played Cynthia Wainwright, and Mary Elizabeth Scallen who played Aunt Patty, well directed by Abigail Adams.

All of the characters were fantastic but there are four that really deserve special mention. First is Maggie Fitzgerald who is only in sixth grade! She displays a stunning control over her emotions and her facial expressions, combined with her confidence and actions seeming to give the play a more natural feel and make it more “well rounded”.

Christopher Patrick Mullen as Uncle Hob displayed a fantastic stage presence as well as an amazing control over the situation changing the whole mood of the play from happy and easy going, to important and very serious in the blink of an eye.

Finally the two tenth graders, Katie Johantgen and Claire Inie-Richards, both seemed to be far beyond their years in acting and overall stage performance really adding to the experience.

If you haven’t seen Getting Near to Baby yet, get out to Peoples Light and Theater. You don’t want to miss this one!