A Son Caught Between Mother and Marriage

Horton Foote, 86, knows a thing or two about old age. But he also understands the frustrations of younger adults whose lives are dominated by their parents.

Foote--the bard of small-town Texas--takes a clear-eyed look at this fault line between generations in his funny and finally poignant “Getting Frankie Married--and Afterwards,” in a sterling premiere at South Coast Repertory.

Apparently the play’s theme has been on Foote’s mind for a long time, judging from his last play to receive its professional premiere in the Southland, “The Day Emily Married,” seen in a Lost World production at Whittier College in 2000. Foote wrote “Emily” four decades ago, but it also depicted a tug of war between a young adult and her domineering parents, with her marriage as the focal point. The characters in “Emily,” however, were considerably younger than the ones in “Frankie.”

Frankie is 39, and Fred, her beau since high school, is 43. They have never married. Frankie’s friends profess not to know why. But we see fairly soon that Fred is in psychological thrall to his mother.

Mrs. Willis, 85, and her only child are virtually inseparable. When Fred was 7, his father died, and mother and son have depended on each other since.

As the play opens, Mrs. Willis looks as if she’s at death’s door. But she survives to wreak still more havoc on the relationship between Fred and Frankie. It’s not that she opposes their match. She seems to be happy about it. But she doesn’t let it deter her from continuing to summon Fred to her side at every opportunity.

In Martin Benson’s staging, Nan Martin’s Mrs. Willis is a galvanizing presence just about every second she’s onstage--and often when she’s offstage, calling for her son. Although her body looks as if it may collapse at any moment, she commands the play almost as much as she commands her household.

Foote and Martin show us Mrs. Willis at her most tyrannical, but they also create a character with such a vigorous spirit that it’s easy to see why it would be hard for her son to separate from her. Even though she tends to repeat herself or to forget key facts--like her husband’s name--the way she handles these gaffes illustrates the remnants of Southern charm that linger within her.

For Fred, Southern gentility has reinforced the repression of his own personality. Joel Anderson’s performance as the son is extremely, intentionally uninflected. This man can function in a social setting, but his emotions are buried so deep that he can’t find them.

Now, however, something is stirring. On a subterranean level, he’s flailing around in an attempt to salvage his adulthood. This leads not only to a sudden decision to propose to Frankie, but also to doubts about whether Frankie is the woman he wants.

Frankie is so accustomed to the uneasy fit of being Fred’s common-law wife that she, too, has lost sight of what she wants. Juliana Donald’s Frankie looks so attractive on her wedding day that it’s hard to believe she has stuck with stolid Fred for so many years. But Frankie’s own parents are dead, and she probably sees stability in Fred’s link to his mother.

As usual, Foote’s style is deceptively simple. The characters are plain-spoken, but a lot goes unsaid. Anderson’s Fred, in particular, is so subdued that when he finally discloses his inner feelings, an audible gasp can be heard from the audience.

Although “Frankie” is shorter than “Emily,” a few passages could be trimmed, especially when Frankie’s friends are chattering in the second act and Mrs. Willis is uncharacteristically silent.

The storytelling gears are occasionally too evident. But the friends who enter the house are vital in establishing the small-town culture that eventually brings everyone’s affairs into the open.

The use of friends as a Greek chorus also creates two hilarious performances: Linda Gehringer as a flashy social butterfly and Hal Landon Jr. as her frail 74-year-old husband, constantly fretting about his health.

Another important onlooker is Barbara Roberts as Mrs. Willis’ nurse, a religious woman who nevertheless utters a choice morsel of dry sarcasm.

Michael Devine’s living room set, lighted to rosy perfection by Tom Ruzika, has the conventional look that might reinforce a stifled feeling among its inhabitants. Ultimately they are indeed stifled, but it’s hard to stop thinking about them, all the way home from the theater.

*

“Getting Frankie Married--and Afterwards,” South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays-Sundays, 2:30 p.m.; Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Ends May 5. $27-$52. (714) 708-5555. Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes.

Nan Martin...Mrs. Willis

Joel Anderson...Fred

Juliana Donald...Frankie

Barbara Roberts...Mae

Annie LaRussa...Constance

Jennifer Parsons...Laverne

Kristen Lowman...Isabel

Linda Gehringer...Georgia Dale

Hal Landon Jr....S.P.

Sarah Rafferty...Helen Vaught

Randy Oglesby...Carlton Gleason

Jason Guess...Bill Simmons

By Horton Foote. Directed by Martin Benson. Set by Michael Devine. Costumes by Maggie Morgan. Lighting by Tom Ruzika. Composer Dennis McCarthy. Stage manager Randall K. Lum.