Theater Review: Gulf View Drive

by Matt Gunther of of John Garcia's The Column

The other day I visited the Echo Theatre in the Bath House Cultural Center on White Rock Lake for the third week in a row in order to watch the third and final installment of The Nibroc Trilogy written by Arlene Hutton. Gulf View Drive is a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy which began with Last Train to Nibroc and followed by See Rock City.

From the first line this play was funny, especially knowing the characters from the previous chapters. However there were many in the theater that hadn't seen the other shows and they too found so much to laugh about.

Set in 1953 and 1954, this excellent work continues with the lives of May and Raleigh who are now living in a cinderblock home on a Florida shore overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. May's mom is living with them and soon they are joined by the ever pessimistic Mrs. Brummett, Raleigh 's mother, and his sister Treva, whom we meet for the first time in this trilogy. Raleigh is a successful children's book writer, enough so that he's been able to pay for everything they possess with cash. However this cash flow is predicated on his ability to continue meeting deadlines for the book series he's currently working on about a boy and his boat.

Their house is not a big one, as his mother predictably points out upon her arrival, so finding a place and time to write becomes a challenge. And what was initially thought to be just a vacation to see her son turns out to be a long term living arrangement for Mrs. Brummett and for Treva as well. There is a sense that everything was peaceful in this house; that the ship was running smoothly and without fail until Raleigh's family shows up, bringing their quirky personalities and camping out for the long haul and turning this functional family into a dysfunctional one.

There is so much fun and laughter in this piece. Their personality differences and the excellent writing combine to create so many natural comedic setups that sometimes required nothing to be said for the humor to spill out. A look or a gesture was all that was needed. But it wasn't all about the laughs either. There were poignant moments where the author dealt with race, perceptions – others as well as our own, family, and coming to terms with ourselves and who we want to be. The lives are real, to the point where sometimes I felt like the neighbor who finds himself in the uncomfortable situation of overhearing what's going on next door but can't really pull himself away for want of knowing how it's going to turn out. A good example of this is when May and Raleigh are discussing their fidelity to each other.

I loved all of the actors. There was not a weak one in the bunch. I especially liked Ian Sinclair whose portrayal of Raleigh as a man who has finally arrived is excellent. His perpetual smile has been a constant throughout the trilogy, painting him as an easy-going guy, but his gait has changed in this one. It's relaxed. He's comfortable with himself and what he's been able to accomplish. But Mr. Sinclair also captures the subterranean stress lying with the man who recognizes the cracks in the house he's built. He blows up at one point because of his inability to get anything done during the day, relegating his writing time to the late hours of the night. When everyone starts coming out to the lanai one by one and interrupting that time as well, the volume escalates.

Susan McMath Platt shines nicely as Mrs. Brummett. Her sourness is palpable and lovable at the same time because it is so predictable. She says what's on her mind because she wants people to know when things just ain't right, and if she thinks you obviously didn't hear her the first time, she'll just say it again. In the scene above, when everyone is disturbing Raleigh's writing time, each person comes out pleading for the others not to wake Mrs. Brummett. So when she finally does, we can't help but laugh. The affect she has on everyone is precious.

I would be remiss if I left out Kristin McCollum who plays Raleigh's sister Treva. I loved the energy she brought into every scene, whether she was up or down. She carried herself like a woman who never lost her inner tomboy – racing across the stage and jumping all around on her highs and stomping off in sullenness in her lows. She was a country girl through and through.

The set was great, thanks to Robert McVay. Everything took place on the lanai, which is a screened in patio. I loved the partial screen walls defining the lanai perimeter, the partial cinderblock wall, and the sliding door leading into the house with its fancy handle from that era. White tubular patio furniture in pastels of green, yellow, and orange filled the space, including the rocking two-seater which continued the theme of bench seating from the first two productions.

Rich Frolich did a great job with the sound as well. Big band music greeted us as we took our seats, pulling us into that era, and the soundtrack continued to enhance the production with period music through every scene change.

I also enjoyed the set changes, all done in low lighting and incorporating the actors going about their business. No stage hands and no blackouts. They were smooth and seamless.

Co-director and co-producer Ellen Locy introduced the show and suggested to the audience that the three productions don't have to be seen in sequence and I agree and disagree. Like the other two productions, this one can stand on its own. Knowing the characters beforehand is not a prerequisite to enjoying this show, as evidenced by the audience around me, but for me it enhanced the experience. Either way, Gulf View Drive is a definite must see.

The Nibroc Trilogy runs through February 28. Click here for a complete trilogy schedule. Festival passes are $40 and single performance tickets are $15. Purchase tickets online or by e-maling echoreservations@att.net.

The other two shows in the trilogy are:

• Last Train to Nibroc: a two character play set in the early 1940s. We follow May Gill and Raleigh Brummett from their first meeting on a train bound for Kentucky through their budding romance.
• See Rock City: picks up a year later and introduces us to May's and Raleigh's mothers. With America’s involvement in the war as a backdrop, May and Raleigh learn about marriage, societal roles and sacrifice.

• Staff
• Verified User
• Anonymous