Exit Strategy

Exit Strategy

At the Falcon Theatre

Reviewed by Les Spindle

October 30, 2009

PHOTO CREDIT

Chelsea Sutton

Plays exploring the challenges of old age are rare. The best thing about this seriocomic three-hander by Bill Semans and Roy M. Close, which premiered last year in Minneapolis, is that it takes a refreshingly lighthearted look at a life passage that can be riddled with sadness and uncertainty. There's a solid ring of truth to the dialogue and characters, though the play loses some of its originality and grit after intermission, when it morphs into a caper comedy with a questionable moral lesson. Nonetheless, a splendid ensemble, under the adept direction of Casey Stangl, makes for an entertaining visit with charming characters.

Mae (Debra Mooney) and James (James B. Sikking) are among the residents of a rundown rooming house in an unspecified Midwestern town. Mae, the on-site manager, has been married four times but is now single and seldom hears from her grown daughter. James, a retired actor-teacher, is gay, lonely, and prone to tipping the bottle. Though this duo bickers over matters like the temperature setting on the thermostat, there's an obvious bond between them. Their mundane world is shaken up when they get a 30-day eviction notice. Enter an angel of mercy in the form of a slightly younger man, Alex (John C. Moskoff), who radiates vitality and an optimistic spirit. He reveals a plan for his newfound friends to escape homelessness, if they are willing to go along with his daring scheme.

Mooney's exceptional portrayal gains power through understatement, deftly illuminating the character's myriad nuances. As a person who has weathered plenty of hard knocks without becoming bitter, Mae can be vulnerable one second and tough as nails the next. There's motherly warmth behind her stern take-charge demeanor. Sikking superbly captures the eccentricities of an overgrown child with humor and subtle poignancy. Moskoff does fine work as the catalyst, bringing hope and confidence to people whose suppressed zest for life simply needs a jump-start.

Stangl's smoothly paced and handsomely staged production is well-served by Keith Mitchell's set design, Nick McCord's lighting, and Denitsa Bliznakova's costumes.

Presented by and at the Falcon Theatre, 4252 Riverside Drive, Burbank. Oct. 23–Nov. 15. Wed.–Sat., 8.m.; Sun., 4 p.m. (818) 955-8101. www.falcontheatre.com.