Ethel is “The Curious Savage” who has been sent to a mental institution by her awful stepchildren because she wants to give away the considerable fortune she has inherited. But not to them. She’s hidden her bonds with the intention of enriching needy and worthy people. Will she meet some in her new situation? And what will be the result?
Despite Ethel Savage’s likability, quickly and firmly established in Calee Gardner’s performance here, her fate and the rest of the plot come over as banal. John Patrick’s play, set in 1950s, is indeed dated.
The obvious reason for revivals the play has had is that it offers a company of actors a variety of roles and technical artists opportunity for elaborate costuming and a busy set. It achieves great success in all of these in FSU/Asolo Conservatory’s production. Even though there’s too much repetition of activity, Marcus Denard Johnson’s direction paces it well enough to sustain interest.
Billy Lyons’s Doctor helps make the situation seem realistic as he presides over the sanatorium, with its expansive living-room set. He’s rightfully wary of Ethel Savage’s scheming stepsons (Alex Hatcher’s good incompetent Senator Titus and Zachary Paul Harris’s good awful Judge Samuel). No one sees any goodness in Ethel’s six-time wed stepdaughter Lily Belle (Yaala Muller, fittingly flamboyant in dress and manner).
Most active among The Cloister’s residents are Ashley Brooke Raymond’s often delusional Fairy May; Will Westray’s Hannibal, mourning his lost job with statistics; Hoonmin Luke Choi’s pianist who thinks he’s been injured in war.
Christina Mei Chien, in the performance I saw, is rightfully pitiful as Florence, who hugs a doll she thinks is her young son. (He actually appears at curtain call as “Little Boy,” played by Phoenix Woodland-Junkins.)
Yeuying Zhang nicely comes on in due time as Mrs. Paddy, who only speaks to shout her dislikes. Finally, Angel Mishon brings dignity to the role of Miss Wilhelmina, The Cloister’s nurse and assistant.
The elaborate costuming, including much jewelry, is all true to the period. Shoes and hosiery took much care to produce. Clothes bring a lot of color onstage. The technical crew is as important as the actors in this production. They both make the play seem better than it intrinsically is.
