FREDA AND JEMS BEST OF THE WEEK by Lois Fine (Buddies in Bad Times, 12 Alexander). Runs to October 5. Pwyc-$37. buddiesinbadtimes.com. See listing. Rating: NNNN
Even when it breaks into pieces and ends, a 21-year love relationship is something to celebrate. Playwright Lois Fine does just that with Freda And Jem’s Best Of The Week, an honest and often raw exploration of how love and divorce can redefine a family and each individual within it.
Freda (Diane Flacks) and Jem (Kathryn Haggis) meet in a club, fall in love and have two children before their partnership begins to unravel. The story is universal, but Fine finds the characters’ uniqueness by including details about their upbringing. Jem in particular, a self-described butch dyke, delivers a number of moving monologues about her formative years.
Haggis has a commanding presence, and she adeptly exposes Jem’s tough exterior and inner vulnerability. Although the script reveals less about Freda, Flacks makes her fully realized. The disintegration of the relationship gets told largely through Freda’s point of view, and Flacks shows all the pain and confusion leading up to the end. The pair have real chemistry. The audience feels their initial emotional spark, followed by a disconnect so harsh it’s like a phone line gone dead in a storm.
Fine’s script offers an even-handed portrayal of both characters’ emotions. It also contains some really funny lines. However, some of the dialogue delivered by the kids, although well performed by Stephen Joffee and Sadie Epstein-Fine (Fine’s real-life daughter), feels less realistic and too adult.
Director Judith Thompson’s dramaturgical influence can be felt most viscerally during the family arguments. Her staging, however, appears awkward at times – the kids in particular end up lying down a lot. Camellia Koo’s square, bare set with its various levels offers an intriguing juxtaposition to the complex emotional fallout happening onstage.
Singer/songwriter Lorraine Segato’s original music enhances scenic transitions. Her voice in live performance is haunting and resonant.
