Actors' Intensity Boosts 'Marvin's Room'

"Marvin's Room"
Lab! Theatre

Playwright Scott McPherson's "Marvin's Room" is one take on the question.

Being presented at the Elizabeth Price Kenan Theatre by Lab! Theatre under director Adam Farabee, the play explores life and death with poignancy and humor.

Meandering in and out of human suffering by way of dark comedy, the script is difficult by nature. But the all-student cast and crew, who have spent almost two months working on the play, have nearly mastered the conflicting qualities of the script and complexity of the characters.

Melissa Egan stars as Bessie, a middle-aged woman who has spent her life caring for her invalid father, Marvin, and crippled aunt Ruth. Bessie's diagnosis of leukemia spawns a visit from her sister, Lee (Alison Carey), a single mother who hasn't spoken with Bessie in 20 years.

With Lee come her two sons, Hank (Scott Price) and Charlie (Eric Gerdts). Hank is an angst-ridden teenager who spends his days in a mental institution after he burned down his house.

The strained relationships between Lee and Bessie and between Lee and Hank generate massive tension, and this is thoroughly portrayed by the actors.

Egan, whose face remains loaded with emotion throughout the play's entirety, effectively captures Bessie's frustration and fear.

And Lee's transition from the nervous, outcast sister to a supportive family member is brilliantly executed by Carey. The strong acting enables the audience to see the multiple facets of each character, making them easy to relate to.

The intimacy of the Kenan Theatre also works to the play's advantage. Placing all members of the audience within feet of the stage makes for a better acquaintance with the characters than other theaters might allow.

Equally important, Farabee and the crew should be applauded for their work on constructing Marvin's room. Though Marvin doesn't speak and is confined to his bed, his room is above the stage. This presents his slow death as a sort of timekeeper, reminding the audience of the play's underlying theme of life and death.

"Marvin's Room" is not for the faint of heart. Grimly realistic as it might be, though, no one is ever misled -- the play doesn't dupe the audience into expecting a happy ending when such a thing is impossible.

Rather, "Marvin's Room" is simply about living life to the fullest, said Farabee.

"It's about what you do with your life," Farabee said. "It's the amount of love you give while you're here that matters. It's your life."

The final performance of "Marvin's Room" is free of charge at 5 p.m. today.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.