A series of monologues in a
funeral home characterizes the structure of Jeffrey Hatcher’s
play, "Three Viewings," an offering by Kopper Bear
Productions, presently playing at Sunset’s Studio Theatre.
Kopper Bear doesn’t have a theater of its own, but when it
does produce something, it is always worth our attention and
attendance. "Three Viewings" is no exception.
Death is a reality we tend to think only happens to other
people, but there it is, creeping up on all of us. It is often
the subject of comedians because we tend to joke about things
of which we’re afraid. This play is definitely a mix of
humor and pathos. Each of the three characters takes the stage
and talks to us. In the process we get to know them quite well
and are introduced, via their narrations, to several other
characters as well.
The first character is the mortician who runs the funeral
home with his aging father. He happens to have fallen in love,
often an unexpected and always a slightly wacky experience.
The object of his affections is a real estate agent, a regular
at funerals; in fact one he tips off on occasion to give her
the heads up on a house that might soon be for sale. In the
process of her frequent visits, he has been smitten to
distraction, but he hesitates to tell her for fear of
rejection. His stream of consciousness is a never-ending
string of unspoken I love you’s. His pain reaches immense
proportions when an unexpected occurrence throws him off
kilter further. Brian Faracy creates a high level of angst. We
agonize with him.
The second character is a sexy young lady who supports
herself by stealing jewelry off corpses. She explains in great
detail her clever and very successful maneuvers, and when her
rich grandmother dies and she returns home to pay her
respects, she has a very definite plan to recover a dinner
ring she had been promised as a child as a bribe for getting
her first haircut. Many surprises await her and us as she
strategizes her next hit.
Amy Geyser can switch from one emotion to another swiftly,
and we are fascinated and moved by her cathartic journey.
The third story involves a widow named Virginia who
discovers shortly after her husband’s sudden death that he
was deeply in debt and she had unwittingly signed papers that
now put her in jeopardy of losing everything. Elaine Wyler
creates such a fascinating, slightly ditzy, totally lovable
character here that we are almost moved to tears when hearing
her story. Watching her as she sits sedately on a formal couch
amidst the bouquets relating this dismal tale is the ultimate
irony.
Part of the humor of this piece comes from the setting. We
are at a "viewing," a euphemistic word for looking
at a corpse, but we are really viewing the souls of the
living, and our perspective changes. It’s life, not death,
that’s scary.
Well directed by Howard Bashinski, this riveting play
deserves an audience. It runs two more weekends. Call (262)
782-4430 for reservations.
