Hobson's Choice

Every now and then, the delightful 1953 film version of Harold Brighouse's 1915 comedy, Hobson's Choice (an early gem from director David Lean starring Charles Laughton, Brenda de Banzie and John Mills), shows up on Channel 13. A rare opportunity is offered by Off-Broadway's The Atlantic Theater to see the even-more-infrequently revived play in an exceptionally fine production.

Set in the 1880s, the story of a working-class Lancashire family, specifically a tyrannical, widowed boot merchant and his three eligible daughters, appears all the more remarkable and pleasurable in light of its contemptuous disregard for creaky traditional values and its focus on liberating feminism. The play, under the polished direction of David Warren, is grounded by a vibrant no nonsense, and totally beguiling performance by Martha Plimpton, as the realistic, business-like and oldest daughter Maggie, who runs the shop and the home. Here is a Shavian-styled heroine to give Major Barbara a run for it. Yet Brian Murray, who most recently cavorted menacingly in Edward Albee's enigmatic The Play About the Baby, is a keen challenger for our attention, as the mostly inebriated tradesman Henry Horatio Hobson.

A master of the grimace and the grouse, Murray digs into his very deep bag of facial tricks and presides over many of the play's frequent comical moments. Maggie, a ripe 30, and a constant target of her father's insensitive remarks about spinsterhood, is determined to revolt against his oppressive behavior not only toward her but her younger sisters. Willful, bossy and propelled by a natural instinct to manage and manipulate, Maggie embarks on a plan to liberate herself from being an unpaid, unappreciated proprietress, while her father spends his days getting smashed at the local pub. Reminded that she is not likely to find a husband, Maggie offers a proposal of marriage to Willie Mossop, the shop's timid but highly-skilled bootmaker. This, and a chance to have his own business, with her at the helm, of course.

As played with simple-minded perfection by David Aaron Baker, Willie is a joy to watch as he blossoms from a Milquetoast into a master (shades of Pygmalion in reverse.) Amy Wilson, as Alice, and Katie Carr (making her theater debut), as Vicky, are snobby and charming, as the more typically Victorian sisters who are only too glad to let Maggie bear the brunt of their father's misogynistic behavior. They are understandably reluctant to ally themselves with Maggie. But, Alice and Vicky nevertheless eventually find themselves grateful, as their plucky sister sets upon a scheme for them to marry the heretofore intimidated beaux of choice Albert (Darren Pettie) and Freddy Beenstjock (Austin Lysy).

Judith Roberts is appropriately haughty as a wealthy customer of Hobson's who offers start-up money to Maggie and Willie. Aedin Moloney makes a good impression as Willie's easily discarded fiancee, as do Peter Maloney, Christopher Wynkoop and Jim Frangione in minor roles. Derek McLane's functional setting neatly configures itself from boot shop to cellar to living room, while Laura Bauer's Victorian costumes smartly address the figures.