As can happen with any fine instrument, the famous characters in “Chamber Music” are a bit off key; their tuning pegs wound a little too tightly, resulting in a haunting blend of harmony and discord in their comic, tragic lives.
This weekend, at Schoolhouse Arts Center in Sebago Lake Village, the Daytime Players will give two performances of this one-act play by Arthur Kopit.
Within the walls of a 1960’s mental institution live eight famous women – or so they believe. Amelia Earhart, Joan of Arc, Susan B. Anthony, Gertrude Stein, Queen Isabella, Osa Johnson, Pearl White and Mrs. Wolfgang Mozart – they’re all there, but they’re not “all there.” The patients may have taken on the personas of historic figures, but their personal renown extends only to the end of the corridor.
As these women convene their Annual Meeting of the Duly-Elected Grievance and Someday-Governing Committee of Wing Five, their various personalities – both as themselves and as who they perceive themselves to be – emerge, causing tension, teasing and many muddled moments.
Although they clash with each other, they remain one against the attendants, by whom they feel threatened. Eventually, they concoct a crazy scheme to guarantee their protection and their few privileges.
Standish resident Jerry Walker has taken on the direction of this challenging play. He is well known to Schoolhouse audiences from his portrayals of Scrooge from “A Christmas Carol” and Fred from “Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”
Walker, a retired band director, is a co-founder of the Daytime Players, a troupe of about a dozen actors that formed nearly three years ago.
Originally created for senior citizens who wished both to rehearse and perform in the daytime, the group quickly grew to include actors of all ages who want to practice during daylight hours.
For the first two seasons, the Players traveled to perform their short programs for assisted living facilities, senior lunches and community organizations. But this year, the group decided to stay home and to concentrate on honing their acting skills and character development by tackling one demanding piece; “Chamber Music” fit the bill perfectly.
Kopit wrote “Chamber Music” in 1965. Although not as prolific as some playwrights, he has made a living as one for more than 45 years with such works as “Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feelin’ So Sad” and “The Day the Whores Came Out to Play Tennis.”
Kopit has been nominated twice for a Tony Award and has twice been a Pulitzer Prize finalist as well. In 2003, Antonio Banderas starred in a revival of Kopit’s play, “Nine.”
For those who may be wondering about the ability of Schoolhouse’s daytime acting troupe, it’s not that the Daytime Players are not ready for prime time, they simply know that’s where they already are – in their prime. Always looking to add to their numbers, the Players have plans to host an open house. But Player Gayle Clarke wants to encourage anyone who’s interested to call her at 892-4461 for more information.
Recommended for PG-13 audiences because of language, “Chamber Music” will run this weekend, for two performances only, in the upstairs Acting Room at Schoolhouse Arts Center, Route 114, Sebago Lake Village. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 8 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 9. Tickets are $7 and $5 for seniors and students and are available only at the box office. For more information, call 642-3743.
The male attendants try to calm the famous figures of Wing Five in
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