(L-R) Leah Curney, Graham Outerbridge, and Margaret Daly appear in the 1933 play “Is Life Worth Living.” (Richard Termine)
Theater did transform a young man named Lennox Robinson when he saw a show in 1907. Mr. Robinson then used this experience as the basis of his 1933 comedy.
In the Irish seaside town of Inish, where nothing ever seems to happen, the local hotel is run by the jovial John Twohig (Paul O'Brien), his somewhat free-spending wife Annie (Bairbre Dowling), and his spinster sister Lizzie (Margaret Daly).
(L-R) Jordan Baker and Kevin Kilner play the actors/managers whose dramatic productions change the moral fiber of a whole town--mostly for the worse. (Richard Termine)
In an effort to boost tourism, John has booked the De La Mare Repertory Company into the local theater for the summer season—others in Inish are skeptical, the town having had bad experiences with a local comedy group in the past. John, however, is hopeful.
Among those in the De La Mare group are Hector De La Mare (Kevin Kilner) and Constance Constantia (Jordan Baker), a husband and wife team. They specialize in performing serious plays, including works of Ibsen, Strindberg, and Chekhov.
Against all expectations, the dramatic productions are enthusiastically received. Hector and Constance perform magnificently; the seats are filled every night and business is booming.
Paul O'Brien and Bairbre Dowling play a couple whose lives are changed by the plays they see. (Richard Termine)
"Is Life Worth Living?" is a love letter to theater, with Robinson turning the usual conventions on their heads as stereotypical happy Irish folk become angry, brooding souls with hair-trigger tempers. The dialogue in these moments (particularly with Eddie and Lizzie) is hilarious, and sometimes nicely over the top, all of which leads to an enjoyable conclusion.
The only problem is that large portions of the play seem terribly dated, with the production often feeling as if it's a museum piece, rather than something happening in the here and now. This is especially true in the extended first scene, which is basically one long setup for what follows. This is a scene filled with only introductions and plot points. While still amusing, it needs to be played much faster, instead of lackadaisically—a problem that must be laid at least partly at the feet of director Jonathan Bank. (A similar situation occurs at the end of the show.)
The casting is very good. The best idea, both according to the text and followed through by director Bank, was to have Kilner and Baker play their characters as real people, and not over-the-top divas. Indeed, Hector and Constance are quite serious about their craft, all the while wrestling with the problems of budgets, the exhaustion of touring, and trying to stay one step ahead of the bill collector.
O'Brien is enjoyable as John; the character is a pleasant and bombastic sort and a master of the slow burn. His railing against a local politician (Jeremy Lawrence) for going against his orders—after he's been bought and paid for—serves as the author's attack on corrupt officials everywhere.
Daly’s portrayal as Lizzie steals almost every one of the scenes she’s in. Originally unable to handle the smallest bit of pressure, the character quickly turns into a force to be reckoned with. She becomes, like many of the town, suspicious of everyone and everything, and feels intense pain about the way her life has turned out.
Also excellent is Outerbridge, who goes from a well-mannered male doormat to an angry young man with a mission.
The technical side of things is a mixed bag: Susan Zeeman Rogers's set of the terribly kitschy hotel drawing room is quite good. However, Jane Shaw's sound design doesn't really make sense, with the background music heard during speeches more a distraction than anything else. Costumes by Martha Hally are okay.
While there are numerous problems with the execution of the play, the central message is quite clear. It's not a question of "is life is worth living," but rather how that life is to be lived: wearing blinders and rose-colored glasses, with cynicism and despair, or perhaps somewhere in between? Definitely something to think about.
Also in the cast are Erin Moon, John Keating, Grant Neale, and John O'Creagh.
Is Life Worth Living? an exaggeration
Mint Theater Company
311 West 43rd Street
Tickets: 212-315-0231 or www.minttheater.org
Running Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Closes: Oct. 11
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication The Stage.
