By TR Robertson
Billed as a psychological thriller, North Coast Repertory’s newest world premiere play, “Louisa Gillis”, packs family drama, secrets, tension and love of a dysfunctional family into a fast-paced 97-minute roller coaster tide that will keep you emotionally centered on the incredible performances on stage. “Louisa Gillis” was written by playwright Joanna McClelland Glass, whose play “Trying” was produced by NC Rep during the COVID years and streamed online. Eighty-nine-year young Playwright Glass was in the audience for the opening night performance of “Louisa Gillis.
The play opens in the living room of Steven Gillis and his wife Helga. Tension is in the air as an argument immediately breaks out between the elder Steven and his daughter Celia who is visiting with her 24-year-old daughter Lucy. As you begin to learn about the family’s background story. It seems Steven and Helga have had to move to New York City, mostly due to financial reasons. He was a former English professor in Wisconsin who had run into some legal problems dealing with charges of “moral turpitude” and you find out his current wife Helga was a former student he had had an affair with. Steven also has numerous stories about memories from his past and is quick to relate situations to Shakespeare’s many plays. As you learn more and more about the family, you find out that Steven’s former wife Louisa, was a wealthy easterner, and had died some years ago from suicide and daughter Celia is an alcoholic with a volatile relationship with her father, Stephen. Grand-daughter Lucy tries to keep the peace as does Steven’s wife, Helga. Hovering over all of this is a financial group controlling the purse strings, referred to as The Firm, and a long letter Louisa wrote before she died, that has controlled everyone’s life in some way. Back and forth they verbally battle, culminating in an argument over where Steven will be buried, made even more complicated with information in Louisa’s letter and the fact that Steven has arranged to be cremated. Every family has secrets and background situations that surround many of the relationships in a family. “Louisa Gillis” takes the audience on the journey of one specific family’s ups and downs that take place regardless of how family members dislike or love one another.
As with any play, the actors chosen for various roles are the key to the success of the play. The selected cast was superb and kept the audience glued to their performances. Playing Grandpa Steven is San Diego Critics Circle Award-winning actor James Sutorius. James was masterful in presenting the cantankerous center of most of the conflict. He was quick with a past memory, a snide comment, a biting tongue, a touch of humor and quick to defend why he acts the way he does. Sutorius also starred in Glass’s play “Trying”, at North Coast Repertory, playing Francis Biddle, chief judge of the Nuremberg trials. Playing daughter Celia is Faline England. England has performed internationally as well as in numerous plays in the Southern California area. She also has film and television performances to her credit, and she teaches at Diana Castle’s The Imagined Life in Los Angeles. As the gloomy, alcoholic daughter of Steven and mother to Lucy it is hard to watch as she battles for some type of relationship with both of them. As you learn more about Steven and his past, you begin to understand more of why Celia behaves as she does. A touching performance by England.
The two remaining cast members include Caroline Renne as grand-daughter Lucy and Denise Young as Steven’s wife Helga. Caroline is making her debut on the North Coast Rep stage and Young is the Director of Development at North Coast Repertory. Renne presents Lucy as both a person searching for what she should do in her life and a person swept up in the dynamics of her somewhat dysfunctional family, taking on the job of peacekeeper even though she is frustrated with her mother. As Helga, Young presents her as someone who tries to remain as the calm force in the storm around her. You see her as obviously frustrated but as a person who loves her husband regardless of the situation surrounding them.
“Louisa Gillis” is directed by North Coast Rep’s Artistic Director David Ellenstein. His Design Team includes Marty Burnett – Set Design, Matthew Novotny – Light Design, Elisa Benzoni – Costume Design, Matt Fitsgerad – Sound Design, Ian Scot – Music Composer, Audrey Casteris – Props Design, Christopher M. Williams – Stage Manager and Tyler Dean – Production Assistant.
“Louisa Gillis” will be on the NC Rep stage until February 8th. Tickets are available at www.northcoastrep.org or call 858-481-1055. Next on stage at NC Rep is the world premiere of “The Maltese Falcon” by Matthew Salazar Thompson based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett beginning on March 4th.
