Holidays are a time of joy, laughter, music, great food--and, for some, family strife.
The Boulevard Theater's production of "I Never Sang For My Father" by Robert Anderson, set in the 1960s on the East Coast, explores painful and complex family dynamics between a father and his two grown children, mainly, his son.
Gene Garrison, former Marine and a recent widower, has come home to visit his parents. He adores his doting mother and desparately tries to find it in his heart to love his selfish and inflexible father, especially when he consider how cruel his father has been towards his daughter Alice after she married a Jewish man. When a family tragedy strikes, Gene must make a profound life decision.
Directed by Boulevard Theater founder Mark Bucher, the production's stellar cast included Matt Specht as Gene Garrison, Joan End as Margaret Garrison, David Ferrie Tom Garrison, Caitlin Compton as sister Alice Garrison, and Angelita Colin, Pat Sturgis and Bob Balderson playing multiple roles.
All cast members brought realism, pathos and gentle humor to the production. The Sugar Maple, Boulevard's play venue for several years, provided an intimate theater experience for all guests. The lack of scenery and focus on minimal stage lighting helped put the wonderful acting front and center..
While not full of holiday cheer, "I Never Sang For My Father" is a touching and thought-provoking play with universal themes of father and son relationships.
If you go:
Who: Boulevard Theatre
What: “I Never Sang for My Father”
When: Through Dec. 1
Where: Sugar Maple, 441 E. Lincoln Ave., Bay View
Info: MilwaukeeBoulevardTheatre.com
Director Mark Bucher (right) rehearses a scene for Boulevard Theatre’s “I Niver Sang for My Father” with David Ferrie and Angelia Colin. Photo by Troy Freund of Troy Freund Photography