Great Escape presents Capote’s emotional Christmas Memory
Some Christmas stories weave sadness and loss amid their more joyful themes of giving, love and friendship. One such story is Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory.
Written originally as an autobiographical short story, Duane Poole, Larry Grossman and Carol Hall adapted it into a musical in 2010 and it is now getting its Michigan premiere at Great Escape Stage Company.
It’s a production that is emotionally evocative. There are plenty of moments of laughter and delight, but there are also tearful moments and ones of painful loss. It’s a night at the theater that celebrates holiday memories as they really are, without the gloss of commercialism.
It takes place in 1932 and 1962. The adult Buddy is returning to the farm of his childhood and relives a Christmas of his boyhood. He was 7 and had a special friendship with his elderly cousin, Sook, an eccentric and simple-minded woman. Together they make fruitcakes, which they send out to everyone of their acquaintance and a few people they’ve never met. They are poor, but they set about making the best possible Christmas by chopping down a tree and hand-making ornaments and presents. Meanwhile the other relatives in the house are concerned Buddy isn’t being raised properly and that his friendship with Sook is unhealthy.
Director Randy Lake is to be commended both for the cast he brings together and for the way he fills the small space that Great Escape has. He manages each emotional moment and helps his actors play to the multiple side and levels of the audience, which is arranged around the thrust stage and up several levels on one side. He’s also in charge of set design and construction and creates a space where this story is effectively told to all of the audience.
At the center of this production is 9-year-old Jack Proulx, who plays the Young Buddy. He turns in a fine performance that is layered and subtle—an impressive feat for an actor of his age. He’s also a triple threat—singing, dancing and acting his way through the show, showing off his multiple talents. He’s fun to watch dancing and really takes a shine to the choreography (which is uncredited in the program). He makes a genuine connection with the others on the stage, in particular with Debbie Culver who plays Sook.
The relationship between Buddy and Sook is what the play revolves around and Culver and Proulx have strong chemistry. Their relationship is believable and there is genuine pain when others try to pull them apart.
Culver does a beautiful job of creating the eccentric Sook. She is child-like in all her actions and aged in her speech patterns. She captures the spirit of Sook, a saintly woman who has a streak of naughtiness in her. She displays an innocence and purity of spirit that is expressed in joy.
The play is worth seeing just to see these two act together, but the others in the ensemble also contribute strong performances. Timothy Lake is the adult Buddy who narrates his childhood memories but also struggles with modern life and what it means to him to be who he is and uncertain of where he’s going. He has a strong singing voice and evokes some of the most soulful moments of the play. He’s especially talented at playing to the multiple sides of the audience and making it natural to look up and make eye contact with those sitting in the highest areas of the audience.
Elinor Marsh creates an intimidating Jennie, the strict cousin who runs the household and makes decisions for everyone else. Gayland Spaulding plays the ailing cousin Seabone, the bootlegging HaHa and the postal carrier, giving each character a distinct flavor. Kyra Hill is Anna, who appears in both time periods, the only one who does so. She’s the bridge between the two periods as the help who does laundry and keeps up the house.
The neighbor girl Nelle Harper is played by 11-year-old Bella Proulx, Jack’s real-life sister. They’re fun to watch together as they fight and eventually have an adventure together. Bella is as commanding in her stage presence as her brother and the two make an impressive pair.
Finally, there’s an adorable white terrier, Queenie, who goes on adventures with Sook and Buddy. She is alert through the whole show and is cooperative with multiple actors handling her in front of a crowd of people.
The music falls in the range of traditional show tunes with all original music telling the story of the friendship of Buddy and Sook. It includes upbeat amusing songs like “Alabama Fruitcake,” and more soulful songs like “Stars” and “One Small Seed.” Musical direction is by Alan Stulberg.
Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory is a charming story that speaks to the heart and soul of Christmas. It is filled with his language and a cast that adeptly tells the story in song, dance and words.