The Story That Milk & Honey Whiskey Tells
Is Interesting, Touching, and Often Funny

On March 24-April 1, a brand-new company -- Blue Box Theatre Company -- is staging a brand-new play: Milk & Honey Whiskey, written and directed by Grace Siplon. It plays one more weekend (March 30-April 1) at the Seymour Center in Chapel Hill, and I highly recommend it.

Chief among the many strengths of this play is that it firmly engages the audience right away and then relentlessly holds their rapt attention to the end as it tells a story that is interesting, touching, and quite often funny.

Milk & Honey Whiskey is set the early 1930s of the Great Depression era (1929-39). The Davis family has taken a train west from their home in Georgia to Wyoming, seeking a better life. We learn early on that "Ma" Davis has health issues. We likewise learn that different members of the family have different feelings about relocating. We then spend two hours getting to know seven very delightful people as we are treated to a slice of their lives. Along the way, we meet an eighth character who is somewhat less delightful (but interesting, nonetheless).

Ma and Pa Davis (played by Rosanne Wagger and Michael Taylor Shannon), have three children: Theodore (Harris Middlesworth), Arlene (Grace Derenne), and Edith (Lea Gilbert), the youngest. Each of these actors has created a character that is a consummate storyteller; and they take turns, seamlessly, telling the family's story. At key points, the narration gives way (again seamlessly) to acted-out scenes of significant episodes in their lives.

The cast for Blue Box Theatre Company's production of Milk & Honey Whiskey includes (clockwise, from
top left): Chase Condrone as Donnie, Harris Middlesworth as Teddy, Michael Shannon as Pa, Rosanne
Wagger as Ma, Lea Gilbert as Edith, and Grace Derenne as Arlene (photo by Matt St. Lawrence)

Kudos to Grace Siplon's directing skills for having assembled a cast that has been able to work together so well, both as actors and "tag-team" storytellers. Especially impressive are the instances in which one character picks up the narration by finishing another character's sentence and then continues, keeping the same pace and tone.

There's also a bit of tag-team in the action. Watch for a scene in which Pa is counseling Theodore, while Ma advises Arlene. These simultaneous sessions presumably take place in different locations, they are acted on opposite ends of the stage, and there is a very pleasing rhythm to the back-and-forth segments of this scene.

At his new-found job, Theodore befriends Donald Rossi (Chase Condrone), a fellow "relocated laborer" who hales from Brooklyn, NY. And the Davis family eventually opens up their home to his sister Isabella (Missy Sullivan).

Mini-spoiler #1: Be on the lookout for some romantic feelings that go ... who-knows-where?

Condrone's and Sullivan's characters fit nicely into the Davis "organization." While every bit as likeable as the Davis family, the Rossis are certainly of a "different breed." Unlike the Davis family's Southern accents, mannerisms, postures, and body language, those of the Rossi siblings fairly scream "Yankee" or, perhaps, even "New York City." Both of these feisty characters are "crowd-pleasers."

Rosanne Wagger as Ma speaks directly to the audience about her fears (photo by Matt St. Lawrence)

The eighth character is Mr. Mayhaps (Trevor Walsh). A slick, smooth-talking con man (think "snake-oil salesman") who always seems to know just exactly when these characters will be vulnerable enough for him to make a few fast bucks. I was expecting Mayhaps to be one of those characters that "you love to hate," but Walsh plays him in a key that makes him likeable in his own strange way. And I found this choice to be much more satisfying.

There is a ninth "character." Let me just say this: Google "Jackalope" before attending the play, and be sure to read the director's notes as you wait for the lights to go down.

Mini-spoiler #2: This "character," along with Mr. Mayhaps, is closely tied to both the milk and the honey whiskey of the title.

This play is, indeed, a testament to the power of love, hope, and faith; but it also seems to be a warning about the shortcomings thereof.

Lea Gilbert (Edith), Michael Shannon (Pa), and Rosanne Wagger (Ma) get surprising news (photo by Matt St. Lawrence)

A quick word about Ma: She often "breaks into a song," always one that fits right into the dialogue. The fits-like-a-glove nature of the lyrics and Ma's apparent spontaneity on these occasions (coupled with an off-hand statement of another character), gave me the impression that Ma has a poetic soul, that she is inspired to create these lyrics and tunes on-the-spot.

The Seymour Center's theater is a comfortable, intimate space. Chella Anderson's lighting works nicely, and Matt St. Lawrence's sound design adds a welcome dimension.

No costume designer is credited, but let the record state that each character's costume was appropriate for that person in that time-and-place.

The set consists of three wooden boxes, two stools, and two chairs that the characters reposition to define various locations. An impressive detail: both the bottles and the clothespins are period-specific.

Grace Derenne (left) as Arlene and Lea Gilbert as Edith dream of better days (photo by Matt St. Lawrence)

From the Department of Picky-Picky:

1. Silly me, but I would have liked to see Mr. Mayhaps carrying his goods in a "carpet bag."
2. There is a fleeting reference to "the clearances" that I would bet 90% of the audience will not understand.
3. Both Donald and Isabella definitely sound as though they hale from New York City, but Isabella sounded more "Bronx" (to me) than "Brooklyn."
4. Members of the Davis family now-and-then dropped their Southern accents.

On behalf of the Triangle Review, I want to welcome Blue Box Theatre Company to our local theater scene.

Blue Box Theatre Company's production of Milk & Honey Whiskey stars (from left) Lea Gilbert (Edith), Rosanne Wagger
(Ma), Michael Shannon (Pa), Harris Middlesworth (Teddy), and Grace Derenne (Arlene) (photo by Matt St. Lawrence)

MILK & HONEY WHISKEY (In Person at 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, March 30-April 1), written and directed by Grace Siplon and starring Chase Condrone as Donnie Rossi, Missy Sullivan as Isabella Rossi, Harris Middlesworth as Theodore Davis, Grace Derenne as Arlene Davis, Lea Gilbert as Edith Davis, Trevor Walsh as Mr. Mayhaps, Rosanne Wagger as Ma, and Michael Taylor Shannon as Pa (Blue Box Theatre Company at the Seymour Center in Chapel Hill). 2023 SEASON: https://www.blueboxtheatrecompany.org/currentseason THE PRESENTER: https://www.blueboxtheatrecompany.org/, https://www.facebook.com/bbxtheatre, https://www.instagram.com/theblueboxtheatre/, and https://twitter.com/BBXTheatre. THE VENUE: https://www.seymourtechcenter.org/home. MAP/DIRECTIONS: https://www.yellowpages.com/listings/457265932/directions. TICKETS: $20 suggested donation, plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: theblueboxtheatre@gmail.com. PLEASE DONATE TO: Blue Box Theatre Company.

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