By Whitney Sorensen
The audience at the Covey Center on opening night in Provo was utterly charmed by Over the River and Through the Woods, laughing and crying along with the cast. This play by Joe DiPietro and directed by Robinne Booth centers on two sets of loving Italian-American grandparents in Hoboken, New Jersey, and their grandson Nick (Gavin Gifford).
Despite his job in the Big Apple, Nick still makes the trek out to New Jersey every Sunday for family dinner with his grandparents. Both sets live on the same street, but the entire show takes place in the living room of his maternal grandparents, Frank and Aida Gianelli (Lon Keith and Linda Garay). The play opens on a day when Nick needs to make a big announcement (which it takes 20 minutes to finally reveal).
My favorite moments from Over the River reminded me of the mashed potatoes scene from While You Were Sleeping. Both sets of grandparents talk over the top of each other and pick up and let go of conversation topics whenever they feel like it. DiPietro’s dialogue is made to be spoken on fast forward, and all the actors keep pace with each other while still allowing the audience to keep up and laugh.
The first act feels every bit the romantic comedy, with the grandparents doing a little matchmaking to encourage the happy ending they want Nick to achieve. At one Sunday dinner, they invite Caitlin O’Hare (Kestley Pierce) to join, and both single adults instantly recognize the set-up but discover a mutual attraction regardless.
The second act is much more drama-heavy, with big speeches and withheld secrets from each grandparent. One tender scene showcases the acting of Nick’s paternal grandparents, Nunzio and Emma Cristano (Ben Wake and Booth). In a dialogue-heavy script, they found moments to speak with only facial expressions and body language as they collectively decide not to reveal an important detail about Nunzio’s health to Nick. Similarly, Keith delivers a gruff but loving rebuke to Nick when he temporarily forgets the importance of heritage and family ties.
I side with Caitlin in thinking that Nick’s demeanor around his grandparents is a tad gruff, but Gifford shines in the memory monologues he gives throughout the show. They are exposition-heavy, but he expertly uses them to show the softer side of Nick and express his nostalgia for the good old days of regular visits to grandmother’s house.
I enjoyed Garay’s performance and character most of all. The play gives her a lot of stage business, as she continually runs in and out of the kitchen with heaping platters of food, and also some of the biggest laughs. Garay’s accent also feels the most fully realized of anyone onstage, pulling me into the action and making me want to be caught up in every embrace she offers Nick.
The technical aspects of the production do their job very well, in that they added a lot but I wasn’t overly aware of them at any moment. Connie Jackson’s costumes transport you back to the 1990s, especially some of the ensembles worn by Booth, the more stylish of the grandmas. The cast does have to make a few costume changes that could be quicker, but they each add to the realism of the show so I’m willing to forgive a few extra seconds between scene shifts.
Stage manager Adam Cannon also deserves a big shout-out because this show is very prop-heavy. The cast eats an entire meal at one point, with Garay and Booth bringing out dishes filled with vegetables and veal parmesan. They also play Trivial Pursuit, read newspapers, wrap themselves in blankets, and pick at many other items from Aida’s kitchen.
Booth and the rest of the staff at Covey have made a great selection to close out 2018. This lesser-known play is a crowd-pleaser that kept me guessing. I recommend it for anyone who needs a break from the five shows that typically get staged this time of year and a hearty laugh followed by a heavy wave of nostalgia.
Covey Center for the Arts Presents Over the River and Through the Woods by Joe DiPietro
Brinton Black Box Theatre, Covey Center for the Arts, 425 West Center Street, Provo, UT 84601
December 6-22, 2018 M, Th-Sat, 7:30 PM
Tickets: $14-16
Contact: 801-852-7007
Covey Center for the Arts Facebook Page
Over the River at Covey Facebook Event
0 Comments