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Wedding Pictures

Author: Judy Korotkin

Reviewer: Jennifer Womack for Theatre Reviews Limited

"Wedding Pictures," presented at the Vital Theatre Company, takes you on a roller coaster which swirls around loops of laughter, dips in disappointment, and causes tears. It is set in a quaint living room in Manhattan with timeless wedding pictures all over the wall. A young girl will never have her picture on that wall when she cancels her wedding and sits Shiva for her grandmother who just passed.

Writer Judy Korotkin delivers an original idea on the stage. However, as I sat watching a family trying to restore their love and values, I felt as if I was watching it through a TV screen. Second to a play, "Wedding Pictures" would fit perfectly as a half-hour sitcom on NBC around dinnertime. It contains comic relief, as well as teaching real life lessons that happen to everyday families. It is the perfect blend of seriousness, sorrow, and hilarity.

Sheila (Emily Zacharias) is mourning the loss of her mother and sits in her mother's apartment (which was shared with Aunt Lily) and awaits family members to pay their respects. Her daughter Amy (Sarah Schoenberg) is to be married in one week and drives her mother insane with her own heartache and anguish. Amy has made the decision to cancel her wedding due to many disastrous omens. Obviously the death of her grandmother began her negativity, seeing her parents survive an unloved divorce, and her Aunt Gloria who has never successfully been married. She makes the decision that marriage does not work in their family and she does not want her name to be added to that disappointing list.

Leaving the audience with a homey feeling, director Steven Sunderlin has incorporated confidence and hope into "Wedding Pictures." Even though a fourth wall existed between the stage and the audience, the mood was cozy and comfortable.

On the contrary, some of the actors did not fit up to par with their surroundings. Gloria (Pamela Shaw) has some of the most hysterical and amusing lines when talking to her mother, Aunt Lily. Shaw threw a large handful of these lines away due to her unnatural and unbelievable delivery. However, when Shaw was on, she was on. Cortnie Loren Miller's "Nancy", was confusing and somewhat disturbing. It was not made clear as to why Nancy was making the choices she did. Barry J. Hirsch's "Alan" is bland and did not successively portray the remorse that he had for the loss of his ex-mother-in-law, his daughter's feelings, and his ex-wife's troubles.

On the bright side, Nancy Franklin's "Aunt Lily" was the epitome of an ethnic grandmother/great aunt and portrayed her with reliance; which made the audience hungry to see her more. The cousins Evelyn and Harry (Mimi Scott and Neil Levine) were an absolute treat. They added comic relief to the dispirited atmosphere and were pure amusement. Emily Zacharias' Sheila was nearly perfect. She dealt with an unbearable daughter in a loving manner while coping with the death of her own mother. The audience could relate to the character of Sheila the most due to Zacharias' remarkable portrayal of a stressed-out mother who succeeds at trying to stay sane.

Jeffrey Criddle's set design was a typical apartment in Manhattan. His design gave the play a snug and inviting feel. Michael Abrams lighting design appropriately set the melodramatic mood on stage.

"Wedding Pictures" is a light and delightful show that every "family person" should see. If you liked "The Golden Girls" or "All in the Family," you will be guaranteed to love this show.

"Wedding Pictures" directed by Stephen Sunderlin ran through August 25 at the Vital Theatre Company, 432 West 42nd Street.