The don't-miss performance of this holiday season occurs on one of the smallest stages in town, within the confines of the intimate Studio Theater. The limited seating will make it difficult to get tickets to see Richard Halverson in Trying, but it's worth rearranging one's schedule to find a way to see Halverson, a veteran Milwaukee actor, in this sad-but-touching portrait of Francis Biddle. If the name doesn't ring a bell, Biddle was very much a part of shaping national events prior to and following World War II. He was appointed attorney general by then-president Franklin Roosevelt. In 1945, President Truman appointed Biddle as the primary American justice at the Nuremberg Trials.
But this play focuses on the final chapter of Biddle's life, and his relationship with a small-town Saskatchewan prairie girl who becomes his personal secretary. The entire play based on a true story - takes place in Biddle's shabby, disorganized office located above his garage. Playwright Joanna McClelland Glass was indeed that prairie girl trying to perform her administrative duties under Biddle's watchful (and critical) eye. She creates a candid and complex portrait of Biddle from her intimate acquaintance with the man. For instance, Biddle's early work on behalf of impoverished coal miners doesn't carry over to the cause of women's liberation. (Biddle makes a number of unflattering comments about Betty Friedan.)
He is also frustrated by the "tricks" his mind plays. Some "senior moments" rob him of instant recall. He dials a phone number, yet by the time a secretary answers, he has forgotten whom he is calling. During better times, he can quote a poet whose work he hasn't studied in 50 years. When Biddle first takes on Sarah as his secretary, he has minimal hopes for her success. To put it bluntly, their first meeting is a disaster. Over time, we are allowed to see them find common ground in the brief year prior to Biddle's death. Molly Rhode excels at showing her character's "spine," as Sarah would say. Although Sarah lacks an Ivy League education, she is smart enough to occasionally put Biddle in his place. These are deliciously funny moments.
One wishes that Rhode could take her character to another level by the play's end. Instead, she portrays Sarah in a manner that is as flat as the prairie from which she comes. Richard Halverson is another matter altogether. He basically IS Biddle, in a performance that is superbly fine-tuned in every respect. Biddle is plagued by a number of chronic illnesses, and Halverson manages to keep Biddle's failing health in the forefront of his performance. Yet, Halverson demonstrates a strong will to survive, even as Biddle's once-brilliant legal mind begins to fade.
The playwright presents a no-holds-barred impression of Biddle, allowing audiences to more fully understand the character's complexities. It is a beautifully written play that focuses on the heart of the human condition.
