Mothers and Sons
Life keeps moving on whether we like it or not. Change happens every second of every day and there is nothing we can do to stop it. These seconds…these moments in our lives define and mold who we are and how we live.
In Terrence McNally’s new play, Mothers and Sons, Katharine Gerard (Tyne Daly) pays an unexpected visit, from Texas to New York City, to see her deceased son’s ex-boyfriend, Cal Porter (Frederick Weller). Andre, Katharine’s son, died during the AIDS crisis in the early 1980’s. Set in present times, Cal is now married to Will Ogden (Bobby Steggert), and is father to a seven-year-old, Bud Ogden-Porter (Grayson Taylor). While Mothers and Sons explores gay themes, it does not dwell on them and they are not the main focus of the play. The play goes beyond sexual orientation. It explores in great depth today’s views of family life and how historical events are viewed differently from generation to generation. The simple idea of losing a child, for instance, is a thought that would make any parent shutter, no matter how close or distant the parent-child relationship is. In this play, we see Mrs. Gerard is still struggling with unresolved issues, 30 years after her son’s death. Daly’s performance is organic and truthful, and evokes strong reactions from the audience. There are several moments during the play when Daly’s character is left alone on stage. Without saying a word, she manages not only to keep the audience’s attention, but also to deliver great insight to what the character is like. Author, Terrence McNally’s use of language is rich and engaging. While Mothers and Sons deals with intense subject matters, the script has the perfect balance of humor and tension, complementing each other and enhancing each extreme situation. The play is superbly cast. Each actor has a great understanding of the text, making it exciting to follow the characters and their experiences.
The day after seeing the show, I was fortunate enough to attend a panel discussion at the 92nd Street Y. The panel consisted of author Terrence McNally, cast members Tyne Daly and Bobby Steggert, and director Sheryl Kaller –with Perez Hilton as mediator. It was clear that Perez Hilton was trying hard to keep the panel moving, but often times shared unrelated or out of place comments and seemed to be unprepared for the event. He focused a lot of time and energy on the gay themes of the show, when he should have been focusing on human nature, family and love. He often questioned some of the most basic information about McNally’s work (information which he could have known by doing a simple Google search). This resulted in a bit of a struggle onstage between Hilton and the rest of the panel. On a separate note, McNally discussed the unintentional influence of opera on his work. While watching the play, I became aware of the opera-like qualities of the plot and its characters. It was validating to know that my instincts were correct and that McNally’s love of opera helped to color and shape his play. This made me reflect on the power of art –how it can get into our subconscious and influence the way we think and process information. I highly recommend going to see Mothers and Sons by Terrence McNally on Broadway before it closes on June 22nd.
It was be a beautiful experience that made me reflect on the value of life, family and relationships. Thank you for reading. Feel free to subscribe for email updates, comment, and share this blog with others!
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Until next time,
:David
Sites of interest:
Mothers and Sons on Broadway
http://www.mothersandsonsbroadway.com/