Review: Enchanted April

The year is 1922. The Great War is over but the British Empire still stands. Women are expected to be pillars of their communities and dutiful supporters of their husbands, unless they are rich enough to profess indifference. Under the rainy skies of England, women and men follow their routines and accept their fates. Yet, as rain will soak the ground causing a seed to germinate, so can an idea grow in incessantly damp winter weather. The mere suggestion of wisteria and sunshine can send a visionary willing to take a chance rushing to arrange a trip to the south. Hurry away from feminine duties and household chores. Leave the husbands behind and discover the enchantment of ocean air flowing across an Italian villa in April.

Elisabeth A. Ballstadt cast her charm over the audience with the very first peek-a-boo wave and smile on opening night of Enchanted April at the Des Moines Playhouse. I describe it as a peek-and-boo wave because it appears then disappears quickly. It is the suggestion of timidity, an apology for a tiny interruption.

In the play, it is a small advertisement, a small detail omitted, and a small change in plans that make a difference. All would be for naught, however, were it not for the large, outgoing personality of Ballstadt’s character, Lotty Wilton.

This is a story about women. In addition to Ballstadt, the women in speaking roles include Megan Myhre (Rose Arnott), Megan Walz (Caroline Bramble), Debi Garner (Mrs. Graves), and Becky Scholtec (Costanza). Myhre is new to the Playhouse and to Des Moines but she has acted in commercials and in independent films. She pours emotion into her facial expressions as easily as the English drink tea. Similarly, Jeff Rohrick (Frederick Arnott) uses body language quite nicely to give credibility to the words and the story. Royce Dunbar as Antony Wilding is well focused. Michael Davenport (Mellersh Wilton) rounds out the main cast.

This is a play in which the characters evolve and the audience witnesses the transformations clearly. That clarity is due to the pen of Matthew Barber, who adapted Elizabeth von Arnim’s novel for the stage. Kathy Pingel’s direction keeps the play moving, sometimes too quickly. There was one scene in particular, when the conversations of the Wiltons and the Arnotts were interchanged, that I thought should have allowed more time for the emotions of the characters to settle into the audience.

It was interesting to listen to the audience as it was obvious some people knew what to expect and others did not. A few people laughed before the first hundred words had been spoken, causing a subtle disturbance to flow through the rest of the audience. Had they missed a cue? Bit by bit, more members of the audience joined in the laughter and by the end the group was acting as one. As the curtain rose after intermission, the audience enthusiastically gave approval to Jeff Stander’s scenic design of San Salvatore, the heavenly villa.

M.R. Field writes reviews for AroundDesMoines.com. She encourages organizations and performers to send news about their upcoming events to events@AroundDesMoines.com.