Photo Source: Ben Arons
Melody (a stunning Wrenn Schmidt) lives in Connecticut against her will, with childish fantasies of playing house with aprons and throw pillows. She decides to get married because she is "sick of roommates," and with her distant though loving lawyer husband, Craig (Chad Hoeppner), always traveling, she lives like an unemployed single girl, with takeout or Pop-Tarts for dinner. She'd rather watch "Project Runway" than give blowjobs, and she fills her empty days color-coding sweaters and doing yoga.
She desperately wants to impress Craig's condescending mother, Hope (a moving Jill Eikenberry), who is skeptical of any woman in her only son's life. Daniel Zimmerman's gorgeous set design, straight out of a Crate & Barrel catalogue, illustrates Melody's extreme need to please her critical mother-in-law while also lacking the personality that Melody frantically desires.
Melody's and Hope's lives come to a roaring halt when Craig dies in a tragic plane crash. Hope throws herself into planner mode and pushes the rules of widowhood—nonstick cake pans and the widows' league—on Melody as she tries to cope. Even in death, the motley pair one-up each other, and while Hope hides behind her structure, Melody swims in her grief. At a moment of weakness, Melody pours herself into her husband's paralegal, Brad (Jonny Orsini), like she pours her umpteenth shot of Grey Goose.
As the tune holding everyone together, Schmidt makes what could easily have been a whiny and unlikable character personable and real. As a 20-something woman, I see myself in many aspects of Melody. I read People magazine while painting my toenails and love excuses to wear dresses. I'm also pretty sure rain boots are the most exciting piece of footwear a girl can own. These small details complete Brunstetter's already fleshed-out characters.
Humor expertly punctuates the play's sad moments. As Melody listens to her late husband's workout playlist, she tells Brad, "Apparently, when he was running he liked to feel like he could kill people." Cue DMX dance party. Music is the play's fifth character and is practically written as one in Brunstetter's well-crafted script. Melody tells Craig, "Music helps you access your emotions," and everything from the Dixie Chicks to Louis Armstrong to "It Is Well With My Soul" carries the audience on the character's emotional roller coaster.
As Melody slowly learns about her husband after death, she realizes that the person we need the most is the one we least expect. Loss brings a reflection on things that really matter, and those are usually favorite candies and loved ones, not corporate careers.
Presented by and at Ars Nova, 511 W. 54th St., NYC. May 2–14. Schedule varies. (212) 352-3101, (866) 811-4111, www.theatermania.com, or www.arsnovanyc.com. Casting by MelCap Casting.