Actors are so brave and resilient, bless 'em. Halfway through Monday's preview of the amiable, amusing, appealing Secrets of a Soccer Mom, the stage lights went out. "Obviously, we're having technical difficulties," said a disembodied voice from the booth as the houselights came up. Minutes ticked by; watches were consulted. Finally, admitting defeat, the techies signaled and the performers soldiered on, their only illumination the spill from the houselights, their faces dimly perceivable, all behaving as if nothing had happened. Luckily, the single, simple set of benches against an outdoor painting posed no problem. As for Kathleen Clark's comedy, it's no world-beater, yet, under Judith Ivey's lively, perceptive direction and with a trio of excellent actors, the titular lives of these somewhat desperate housewives are sketched in with spice and heart. The cat's-cradle games they're forced to participate in — interweaving frustrations about their marriages, professing love for their children, accepting the "shoulda/woulda" of their pasts — are familiar. The evening is frothy even when seeking to be profound, touching even when putting the brakes on sentimentality.
The premise has three long-married ladies with kids pitted against teams of 8-year-olds in an annual soccer game. In between bouts on the field, they shout encouragement and warnings to their progeny and exchange gossip, medical tips, and hidden hurts. Alison, a former star athlete, is unhappily married and on the verge of an affair with the gym coach. Lynn is a compulsive activities guru, forever making charts and planning PTA trips. Nancy, a former model, yearns to be a photographer but hasn't the guts even to develop the rolls of film stashed in her bag. The soccer game is a metaphor for their lives. At first they're willing to sacrifice themselves by letting the kids beat them. Later, as they find their own voices, Nancy says, "I'm just not sure what kind of lesson it is for them if we let them win without some kind of fight." Eventually, all must let go of dreams and face realities. "No one's going to let them win this easily when they get out into the real world," says Alison.
As Alison, the youngest and most obviously agitated mom, Caralyn Kozlowski is lithe and high-strung, crying easily, anxious to play well, flustered about her life. The oldest is Nancy, played by Nancy Ringham as the coolest of cool blondes, the epitome of the attractive, fastidious suburban wife. As Lynn, Deborah Sonnenberg is forever the arbitrator, good at bargaining whether with her family or her peers. After all, as Nancy tells the despairing Alison, given the choices made, you "have to look somewhere else." Where? "Here," answers Nancy, pointing to her head. "And here," says Lynn, gesturing toward the field and their children and husbands. Although the women lose parts of themselves, they win self-esteem. Like life itself, it's one step back, two steps forward.
Presented by A-Frame Productions
at the Snapple Theater Center, 1627 Broadway. NYC.
Opened March 5 for an open run. Schedule varies.
(212) 307-4100 or www.ticketmaster.com.
Casting by Tara Rubin Casting.