Review: Theatre Conspiracy starts strong with ‘Toys'

Theatre Conspiracy is filling its 2015-2016 season with shows written solely by female playwrights, and it's kicked things off with a splendid staging of renowned author Lillian Hellman’s dysfunctional family drama, “Toys in the Attic.”

The story takes place in New Orleans and is centered around two spinster sisters, Carrie and Anna Berniers (Rachel Burttram and Karen Goldberg) and their recently rich brother, Julian (Jason Drew), who has just returned from Chicago with his childlike bride Lily (Ashley Kellam) and her snooty mother Albertine (Wende Gilmore). Growing up comfortable but still relatively poor, the family starts to become unsettled by the unexpected burst of wealth and a plethora of sordid secrets that are unearthed.

Like most straightforward and classically minded plays, “Toys in the Attic” spends its first act very gradually bringing its characters together and giving the audience an ample amount of time to figure them out. Though the majority of the characters don’t have oodles of depth on paper, this is a show that’s tailor-made for actors to flesh out their parts, and “Toys in the Attic” shines brightest thanks to its cast.

Drew is slickly delightful as the fast-talking Julian, full of salesman-like charm and devilish irresistibility. He’s perfectly paired with Burttram’s Carrie, whose ebullient nature belies her more insidious and secret self (Full disclosure: This theater reviewer works at Florida Repertory Theatre, where Burttram is a frequent actor). Both characters are offset wonderfully by Goldberg’s deadpan Anna, who is sure to garner plenty of laughs thanks to her many stone-faced line deliveries. These three balance the weight of the show extremely well, and the show’s highlights often involve two or all three of them bouncing off of each other. There’s a believable chemistry at play, especially between the expressive Burttram and the suave Drew. The first act very gradually bringing its characters together, giving the audience an ample amount of time to figure them out.

Standing just outside of this tight-knit family is Lily, played with airy sadness by Kellam. Lily is the one part of the play that feels slightly too heightened, but that’s in no way a fault of Kellam’s. She’s able to wrangle a tragic sympathy out of a character that could easily be dismissed as a ditzy loon. Her scenes with her mother Albertina are often as ludicrous as they are poignant. It’s a tough balancing act, but Kellam never falls off the edge.

This cast is so enjoyable that I was even left with a desire to see more of periphery characters like the ice delivery man Gus (Elvis Mortley) and Albertina’s chauffeur Henry (Cicero McCarter). I hope both of these actors return to Theatre Conspiracy’s stage because they both gave me some of my favorite laughs of the evening.

But, while there are a healthy amount of chuckles in “Toys in the Attic,” the drama picks up when the second act gets underway and scandalous revelations start rearing their heads. Director Stephanie Davis keeps her actors moving, never letting the action stagnate and keeping the physical tension palpable. She’s helped by Curtis Jones’s great technical direction and Bill Taylor’s set design that makes the audience feel the sweltering and oppressive heat of the New Orleans setting. That’s appropriate as Hellman’s play is a slow, sizzling dissolution of old Southern standards.

Even though “Toys in the Attic” does feel a little overstuffed at times (it could easily be trimmed down to two acts instead of three), its revelations are worth it. There were more than a few gasps from the audience when I saw the play, and it certainly has some gasp-worthy moments. Along with its plentiful humor and an on-point cast that elevates a lot of the script’s thinner elements, “Toys in the Attic” is a solid start to what looks to be a stellar season for Theatre Conspiracy. You’d be crazy to miss it.

If you go

• What: “Toys in the Attic”

• When: Now through Oct. 18. Performances are 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday with one 2 p.m. Sunday matinee Oct. 18

• Where: Foulds Theatre at The Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers.

• Tickets: $24 ($11 for students with ID and all women age 41 and younger)

• Info: 936-3239 or theatreconspiracy.org