REVIEW: Never bet against Fishamble: The New Play Company
Photo: In Two Minds stars, from left, Karen McCartney and Pom Boyd. Photo courtesy of Fishamble / Provided by Berlin Rosen with permission.
NEW YORK — One can still appreciate certain undeniable truths in life. Climate change is real. The earth is round. Fishamble: The New Play Company never disappoints.
The hard-working Irish theater company is a frequent presence in New York City, often with solo shows or two-handers that transfer to 59E59 Theaters in Midtown Manhattan. That’s where the company is currently staging two works, one in Theatre B and the other in Theatre C. Fight Night, a solo play about an amateur boxer, runs a quick one hour, and In Two Minds, a two-hander written by Joanne Ryan and directed by Sarah Jane Scaife, explores the impact of mental illness. Both continue performances through Sunday, April 20.
This reviewer had the chance to experience In Two Minds, an exquisitely intimate and poignant dissection of a relationship between a dedicated daughter and a mother struggling to find her place in ever-changing circumstances. Pom Boyd plays the mother, who opens the show attempting to get used to her new surroundings. She’s been forced to move out of her house, a place of comfort and an undeniable feeling of home, and she’s taken up shelter in her daughter’s flat. Karen McCartney plays the daughter character, a professional writer determined to help her mother, but also trying to keep her freelance writing jobs in order.
What’s unspoken in the show, but clearly becomes evident as the plot progresses, is that the mother character has a mental illness that causes anxiety and unexpected strife between the characters within the tight space of this theatrically rendered apartment. Press notes indicate the mother is living with bipolar disorder, and the daughter needs to learn how to anticipate certain changes in their living situation and still support her mother as they endure uncertainty together.
Boyd and McCartney are exquisitely cast in their respective roles, bringing a believable authenticity to their portrayals. Boyd begins the play seemingly enjoying this vacation away from home, with the stated goal of spending more time with her daughter. She unpacks her luggage, takes a seat on the bed and relishes the view out the window. McCartney’s daughter similarly seems positive about the new living arrangements. They converse well and clearly have a lot of love for each other.
But then the late-night outbursts begin, with Boyd’s character unable to sleep and constantly talking while McCartney’s character is trying to rest in preparation for a big meeting the next day. This is simply one example of how their relationship is tested and begins to crack. The undying love is still there, but frustration enters the picture, with both women unable to find comfort and peace. The show proves to be a realistic portrait of mental illness and the challenges one must confront when living with a condition like bipolar disorder.
Scaife has the action play out on a tidy set that is free of any distractions. There’s a desk, chair, bed and cubbies for clothes. Swinging fabrics provide the suggestion of walls and windows. It’s a fitting scenic design courtesy of Alyson Cummins. Both actors are mostly on stage for the entirety of the intermissionless 80 minutes, and the generally tight quarters feel both quaint and suffocating, depending on the current status of the relationship being showcased.
Put simply, In Two Minds is one of the strongest entries in Fishamble’s long history, and New York City audiences are quite lucky to receive the company’s works of art — all of them original — every couple of years. The play, which comes to 59E59 thanks to the ongoing Origin’s 1st Irish Theatre Festival, is an intimate, powerful new show and another winner in a growing catalog of superb theatrical offerings from this little company that has had a massive impact on the theater scene. One can place In Two Minds right up there at the top of their productions, right next The Pride of Parnell Street.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
In Two Minds, written by Joanne Ryan and directed by Sarah Jane Scaife, stars Pom Boyd and Karen McCartney. Continues through Sunday, April 20, at 59E59 Theatres in Midtown Manhattan. The Fishamble: The New Play Company production is part of Origin’s 1st Irish Theatre Festival. Running time: 80 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and tickets.
