Ted Schneider & Lisa Hawkins in Monday Evening 1942
Anyone going to Quotidian Theatre Company’s premiere presentation of Monday Evening 1942, a new play written and directed by Quotidian regular Steve LaRocque, expecting a dynamic powerhouse featuring emotional fireworks will find themselves in the wrong place. Rather, this is a charming, deliberately low-key affair, a slice-of-life populated by very recognizable people.
There is very little in the way of plot or story; Monday Evening 1942, as the title suggests, is a snapshot of time, a small moment shared by three family members who all love each other, but still manage to get on each other’s nerves. (Sound familiar?)
Using actual events that took place in New York City on July 6, 1942, as its backdrop, the play centers around an independent young woman named Teresa (Lisa Hawkins) and her preparations to join the military the next day after being accepted for the newly-established Woman’s Army Auxiliary Corps.
Her father Ed (Ted Schneider), fearing for her safety and still bitter about his experiences during World War I, hopes to talk her out of it. He has additional cause for worry: a series of medical tests at a local hospital suggest that he may have contracted a malady from the fumigants he came into contact with as part of the military contract work he does for the government.
Caught between the two of them is Ed’s sister Ivy (Sue Holliday) who tries to convince her brother that it’s time to let Teresa leave the nest and let her take her own chances.
That’s pretty much it. LaRocque has thankfully avoided the temptation to give in to shouting matches or melodramatic revelations. The characters simply exchange casual conversations with periodic references to the events of the day (a Civil Defense black out and Air Raid drill, an All Star baseball game, the price of women’s stockings, etc.). (LaRocque’s historical detailing is impeccable.)
The staging and performances are excellent. David Steigerwald’s sound designs utilizing big-band recordings and radio shows of the period are outstanding. The script is still very much a work in progress, but it shows great promise. There are some gently humorous moments (Ed explaining the intricacies of the order “forward march”) that the play could use even more of. Theatergoers looking for something off the beaten track will find Monday Evening 1942 a rewarding diversion.
Quotidian’s Monday Evening 1942 runs through May 17 at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, MD. Tickets are $15 to $20. For tickets or info, call 301-816-1023 or visit www.quotidiantheatre.org.
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