Playwright Sharman MacDonald did not necessarily break new ground in her 1984 play, When I Was a Girl I Used to Scream and Shout, but Fallen Angel Theatre Company has proven that it still carries emotional weight in their current off Broadway revival.
Set in a Scottish Beach town, the story centers on the fraught and fragile relationship between Morag (Aedin Maloney) and her daughter, Fiona (Barrie Kreinik). Through various flashbacks, we witness the dynamic of this 32 year relationship along with Fiona’s childhood friend, Vari, played with a perfect balance of brazeness and sorrow by Zoe Watkins. Ewan (Colby Howell) rounds out this quartet whose tryst with Fiona leads to even more contentious relations for Fiona and her mother.
Maloney and Kreinik strike perfect acting chemistry with their intended strained relations, the result of which is reminiscent of Terms of Endearment, Postcards from the Edge, or Steel Magnolias. However, Maloney and Kreinik appear to be so similar in age, lending a slight disbelief to their connection. MacDonald’s script also tends to lag in places, but thanks to John Keating’s able direction and Paddy Maloney’s (The Chieftains) unique musical compositions between scenes, the result is a quietly understated, sincere production.
When I Was a Girl I Used to Scream and Shout runs through May 8th at Theater Row (West 42nd between 9th and 10th). For tickets and more information visit: Fallen Angel Theatre.
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