The Strand is known for producing works that are by women, for or about women, and there is certainly a strong feminist bent to "The Mai." Connie remarks how, growing up, her driving force was "to get a man, get a man," but now that she had one, had to wonder "what's the big deal?" Sachsman's Robert Is the only male character in the play and the least fully developed; he literally plays The Mai like his cello in a powerfully romantic gesture one moment, then is cursing her the next. Why did he leave? Why did he return? What makes him tick? We never hear it from him. And I think it is not by accident that Mr. Sachsman has been cast in this role being somewhat shorter than most of the women on stage, particularly the notably tall and swan-like Ms. Adams. Like his physical stature, Robert Is a small man who cannot possibly live up to the "huge life" imagined by The Mai.
Despite this play's tragic core, there is considerable comic relief, particularly in the scenes featuring Ms. Leimkuhler as Grandma Fraochlan, daughter of "a duchess and the sultan of Spain," who is afforded many of the play's best lines. Lamenting whether she is "paradise material," she tells of a dream of where she and Satan are the only ones in Hell, and having a grand old time with the Devil. One must also take notice of any character whose first appearance on stage involves her hefting in a large, oversized oar...the last remaining memento of her lost beloved.
"The Mai" ends somewhat abruptly--my play companion noted that the audience was unsure of whether to clap- and one wonders what will happen next. Millie, we know, has left Owl Lake, but speaks of still struggling to build a life that isn't tainted by the experience. Will she break the genetic link to a chain of unrealistic expectations that makes life forever disappointing and unfulfilling? Carr places a great deal of blame on "hope," but hope is never a bad thing--it is merely a tool for surviving. The mistake is made when one invests hope in the wrong cause, or person, or dream...as the women of this play learn only too well.
"The Mai" continues its run at The Strand, 1823 N. Charles Street, now through May 1st, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 25th at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 for students, seniors and "BROKE." For more information, call 443-874-4917 or visit www.strandtheatercompany.org.
