By Elise C. Hanson-Barnett
There is value to presenting difficult circumstances with light strokes and gentle humor. Films and plays like Terms of Endearment and Steel Magnolias are stellar examples of such: greeting family heartbreak with pithy comedy and honest portrayals of human impulse and reaction. Clare Barron’s You Got Older is one such example, and the folks at Wasatch Theatre Company execute the elegant script with spirit and grace.
The first thing I was impressed by is the realistic depiction of the female imagination. Hailey McCormick plays Mae, a daughter staying in her father’s home (and sharing a wall with him). Her behavior and fantasies all feel very familiar and natural, and the result is comedic and relatable. McCormick’s Mae is wonderfully real through every layer of emotions experienced by her character, cementing me firmly on her side. My favorite scene of hers is one in which she speaks frankly about an odd rash to a stranger at a bar (Daniel McLeod) and he responds with delighted surprise. The two act as though they’ve been lovers for years already, describing gross human habits with gleeful frankness.
I most avidly enjoyed the chemistry between the actors playing the family. Ali Lente, Amanda Caraway, and Carlos Nobleza Posas appear as Mae’s siblings, with John Hinckley as their ailing patriarch. Director Brian Pilling and property manager Daniel Torrence present a realistic scene with siblings sharing fruit and crackers in their father’s hospital room. The oldest daughter fusses over whether her father is allowed to take gulps of water after his throat surgery, restricting him to a water-soaked sponge. In the final scene when they dance together at Jenny’s (Lente) wedding, there is a moment that disrupts the gaiety when Jenny starts to cry. Her siblings gather around her, the music still blaring, offering a gesture of love that moved me to tears. I was profoundly reminded of my own family in a way I’ve never seen in a stage production.
Wasatch Theater Company’s You Got Older is about adults, and therefore has some adult language, so younger viewers should attend at their parents’ discretion. It is a wonderful piece for Wasatch’s first production in their new space at The Gateway, and I do recommend a visit with this little cast.
Wasatch Theater Company presents You Got Older by Clare Barron
The Gateway, 400 W 100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Remaining dates: September 20-23, 27-29. Thursday-Saturday 8:00 PM, Sunday matinee 2:00 PM
Tickets are $10.00 and can be purchased on the company website or at the door.
Contact: 801-973-2051
Wasatch Theater Company Facebook Page
You Got Older Facebook event
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