Southern playwright Arlene Hutton's The Nibroc Trilogy, three full-length plays dealing with one couple and their families during and after World War II, is a sweet, old-fashioned example of American playwriting and Southern storytelling. Each of the three plays is driven by character more than story, but the characters are so vivid and fully realized that it's easy to forgive the plot meanderings that occasionally crop up.
Last Train to Nibroc, the first play, is the oldest and most tightly structured. A deft two-hander with a simple set (Bradford Olson designed the sets for all three plays), it's a popular choice for showcases and scene study, and it's easy to see why: Hutton's story of a budding wartime romance between May Gill, a rather prim and uptight young woman (played throughout by Alexandra Geis, who originated the role in 1999), and Raleigh Brummett, an easygoing soldier she meets on a train (played throughout by Greg Steinbruner), provides unexpected depth and humor within its boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl format.
Both characters are dealing with life-changing disappointments: Raleigh has been medically discharged from the Army due to his epilepsy. He plans to go to New York City to pursue his dream of being a writer but suffers shame from not being in the service. May is returning from a disappointing visit to her soldier fiancé in California. Raleigh and May discover they are from neighboring towns in Kentucky; still, they must overcome very different outlooks on life in order to be together. Hutton beautifully captures the feeling of the time and place, and the writing is by turns funny and heartbreaking.
See Rock City picks up a year after Last Train to Nibroc. Although it's the middle play, it works well on its own. Hutton uses no gimmicks, just strong characters and vivid language. May and Raleigh have been married for a year and are returning to their home in eastern Kentucky from a delayed honeymoon. They'd intended to go to Rock City, Tenn., but missed the train and headed in the other direction, to Cincinnati. Raleigh's mother, Mrs. Brummett (Ruth Nightengale, also general manager of the 78th Street Theatre Lab, plays the role with deadpan comic timing), has always wanted a little birdhouse with the words "See Rock City" on it, so the couple brings her one, though it was made by a man in Cincinnati.
See Rock City is driven by the challenges of the young couple's life together: Raleigh, because of his epilepsy, can't drive, can't work a factory job, and can't serve in the Army. On top of that, his stories are being rejected from magazines because people want to read about soldiers. May works as a high school principal, and the couple lives with May's parents. Mrs. Gill (the pitch-perfect Polly Adams) is a loving woman, as tolerant as Mrs. Brummett is sour. We can see the couple's love for each other, and it hurts to watch their marriage suffer from forces they can't control.
It's a testament to Hutton's talent that we never weary of listening to the characters sit on the porch and talk. When Mrs. Gill tells Raleigh about Jimbo, a dog determined to go to church, we see, as he does, that she's not just giving him material; she's giving him an example. Although the final two scenes are a little forced, See Rock City is a fine example of solid playwriting.
Gulf View Drive ends the trilogy by exploring the country's evolution, beginning in the 1950s, through the changing fortunes of May and Raleigh. It remains a pleasure to visit with them on their porch, which is now a lanai, as screened porches are called in Florida; they have moved to the Gulf Coast. May has found a good teaching job there, and Raleigh is a successful author of children's books. He boasts to his mother that he paid for his house in cash. The couple also owns a car and a washing machine. However, tensions simmer beneath the happy suburban façade: Raleigh wants to start a family, but May is less eager. The house is too small for all the visitors: May's now-widowed mother lives with them, and Mrs. Brummett has returned with Raleigh from Kentucky after his father's funeral and has no plans to leave. Raleigh's sister Treva (the affecting Christina Denzinger) shows up for an indefinite stay, too. The family interactions are comical and trying, and Hutton brings in such social issues as the failure of family farms, the influence of television, and the growing emancipation of women.
There are some belly laughs, and the actors, particularly Steinbruner, shine. But Gulf View Drive sprawls: The most compelling plot point, which deals with racial integration, comes up only in the final third of the play, and at times May's constant criticism of Raleigh and his optimistic outlook is exhausting. The parts are terrific, but the whole needs work.
Eric Nightengale directs all three plays ably, bringing out the nuances of the text and pulling vivid and strong performances from his uniformly fine cast. Thanks to Hutton's vivid language and her terrific skill at depicting lovable characters and entertaining scenes, The Nibroc Trilogy is a nice vacation from self-conscious cynicism.
Presented by the 78th Street Theatre Lab in association with the Journey Company at the 78th Street Theatre Lab, 36 W. 78th St., NYC. March 31-April 29. Schedule varies. (212) 352-3101 or www.theatermania.com.