Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd, The

The Mint Theater gives us a beautifully executed production of a gem by D.H. Lawrence, The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd.

The play is quite elemental: an abusive husband, a lonely wife, a lonely neighborhood man who is gentle. It's the classic D.H. Lawrence triangle. The tensions of love and conflict are beautifully staged by director Stuart Howard, and a fight scene is masterfully choreographed by Michael G. Chin.

The entire cast is excellent, and Julia Coffey as the protagonist is splendid - a towering performance without a moment that isn't believable. The set by Marion Williams and the lighting by Jeff Nellis, evoking the reality of a home in a mining town a hundred years ago, are merely superb. The subtly-changing atmosphere is entrancing. About the accent: apparently D.H. wrote it in dialect, but let's face it, it's not necessary. I couldn't understand a word the two children in the play said, and early on I had to strain my ears a bit to pick up some of what people said (not Ms Coffey). The timing of the entire production, to me, is just right, except for the final scene which went past empathy into a bit of impatience as it finally dimmed out. All in all, a good evening of theater by a first-rate writer performed by a first-rate company.