It would not be surprising if you haven’t heard of Teresa Deevy, a Deaf Irish playwright whose robust career in the 1930s has given way to obscurity. In 2010, the Mint Theater Company in New York City kicked off an initiative to reintroduce Deevy to the public, but her work is still rarely produc ed. Through April 18 at MuCCC, the Rochester Community Players offer a rare treat: a staged performance of Deevy’s 1937 play, “Wife to James Whelan,” under the thoughtful direction of Jean Gordon Ryon. Deevy had a robust career during her lifetime, writing six plays for Ireland’s national theater. Unfortunately, when it was time for “Wife to James Whelan” to be produced, the Abbey Theater’s leadership changed and the new director declined her work based on questionable, unclear grounds. Deevy switched from writing for theater to the radio, a surprising medium for a woman who became deaf at 19 due to Meniere’s disease. Larry Ploscowe and G. Tristan Berlet. PHOTO PROVIDED The play is set in 1930s rural Ireland, which is immediately clear from the thick Irish accents used. The period costume design by Shelly Stam captures the beige simplicity of the town of Kilbeggan; women wear modest dresses and men don flat caps as they gossip and flirt. The minimalist set designed by Ken Dauer portrays the modest outdoors of the town with red benches and a boulder, before moving to the sparsely decorated office of the Silver Wings Motor Service. James Whelan (played by Luke Dempster), an ambitious business owner, goes from big fish in a small pond to the sole proprietor of said motor service. He is charismatic but has a strong temper, with explosive extremes ranging from ebullient excitement to bitter rage. His titular wife is the big question mark of the play. Who will this economically ascending man settle down with? One possibility is his devoted friend Kate Moran (Cassie Almekinder), a sweet but practical neighbor who covers up her yearning with matchmaking attempts. Another is Nora Keane (Hope Kollarik), the infatuated daughter of his former boss whose red hair and bright red purse mark her as belonging to a more socialite world. Luke Dempster and Hope Kollarik. PHOTO PROVIDED But the strongest contender is contemplative and headstrong Nan Bowers (Andrea Daszkiewicz). A refreshingly independent woman, Nan refuses to promise she’ll wait for James when he insists on leaving their small town for Dublin for a work opportunity. The first act of the play explores their negotiations over what future they could have together when neither will budge from their chosen path. The next two acts take place seven years later, when they meet again under very different circumstances.   The cast is rounded out with a few other suitors for Nan: Jack McClinsey (Derek Schneider), who Nan says showcases the “strength of gentle people”; Bill McGafferty (Allen Smeltzer), who is decidedly less gentle, as demonstrated through fight choreography by Jonathan Lowery; and Tom Carey (Larry Ploscowe), who is jovial but a bit delusional in his hope for Nan’s heart. G. Tristan Berlet hams it up as Apollo, Whelan’s often incompetent employee.    Larry Ploscowe, Allen Smeltzer, Luke Dempster and Cassie Almekinder. PHOTO PROVIDED Deevy’s script is well-crafted, with characters who often don’t say what they mean, leading to layered and surprising dialogue. The plot suggests the trope of a couple getting a second chance at love similar to that of Jane Austen’s “Persuasion,” but has more investment in realism than romance. The strong “will they / won’t they” tension gives way to a “well, should they?” as each character makes mistakes and faces the consequences of their actions. At under two-and-a-half hours, the play is meaty without overextending its welcome. The piece contains light moments — goofy antics, sarcastic humor — as well as heavier plot points including death and incarceration. It brings up issues of how patriarchal systems impact women, and how suppressed wounds can emerge in unexpected ways. Director Jean Gordon Ryan and this dedicated cast are to be commended for expanding the scope of the playwrights featured in the RCP Irish Program and giving life to this intriguing play. “Wife to James Whelan” plays through April 18 at MuCCC, more info and tickets here. Katherine Varga is a Rochester-based writer and arts educator. On an ideal day, you’ll find her biking to a library or theater. The post REVIEW | ‘Wife to James Whelan’ at MuCCC appeared first on CITY Magazine. Arts. Music. Culture.. ...read more read less