Wednesday’s Child centers on a couple who want a child but can’t conceive one. They hire a healthy university student to be a surrogate mother. Each of the couple nourish her, either with food or promises of a better path to life fulfillment. But then the gal’s murdered, so a lawyer and police come into the picture to determine who’s responsible and why. The victim herself speaks in flashback and in present pursuit of her murderer’s identity. Complications, unfortunately rather forced, ensue with many changes of time and place and too constructed parallels (i.e.—thwarted adoptions and revelations of problems in similar relationships). Did Mark St. Germain feel he needed greater length and numbers of kinds of partnership to be shown developing? His problems belie the strength of his style of writing. Luckily he had director Kate Alexander at this premiere, doing an amazing job of blocking the often-shifting activity and physical places, while drawing out the best from the actors. Rachel Moulton demonstrates why she is an FST favorite as Susan Merrit, in love with archaeologist husband Martin and sure he’ll be a fine father. Duke Lafoon makes plain his initial satisfaction with his wife and willingness to please her. Then in the past, Brooke Tyler Benson’s Becca, at first happy about the money she’ll get, becomes entranced with the idea of joining Martin in an archeological quest after the baby is born. His interaction with her begins Susan’s doubts about him. Tyler Benson can’t do much to be appreciated in Becca’s discussion of the Virgin Mary and Jesus’s interaction with her, which so lacks understanding of contexts and smacks of her boring prejudice against him and Christian ideas. In contrast, David Smilow as police official Walt Dixon brings relief, since he’s a reasoner who must pursue the killer’s identity and motive. His policewoman partner, Alicia Taylor Tomasko’s Aleece Valez, becomes a surprise parallel to Susan Merrit. Lawyer Molly Stutt, ably played by Susann Fletcher, seems to be around mainly to elicit information or reactions adding to an audience’s knowledge. Heather Michele Lawler’s rather late appearance as Becca’s professor injects another dimension to the possibilities of parenthood as well as sexual attraction. Whew! Although the set with wooden tables and levels placed everywhere within a half-circular area of sturdy tall trees is serviceable, what does it represent? Almost all of the scenes—except those in which dead Becca appears—are indoors and there are few textual references to nature. Some places are even named in lights scrolled on the trees. The set is helpful, though, in varying the acting spaces, especially of Becca, who’s quite fleshed out and physically on the move for a ghost. The basic idea of Wednesday’s Child I> interests, but the additions take up too much time and attention. It needs further realistic development.
