Texas playwright Del Shores' Daddy's Dyin' Who's Got The Will? is set on the Turnover Ranch outside of Lowake, Texas (pop. 40) in 1986. Daddy is about to come home from the hospital to die is his own bed. Daddy, Buford Turnover, is played by Kirk Duncan. Buford is being wasted by dementia. He watches imaginary television, talks to imaginary people, and plays imaginary games. His moments of clarity are limited. The power is held by Mama Wheelis (Dovey Goral). Goral handles her role with ease, being completely convincing in her character's ability to handle sibling rivalry.
Three daughters and one son, all in their thirties and up, await Daddy's demise. Sara Lee (Billie Padget) has been Daddy's caregiver and is the least greedy of the bunch. Padget plays a local hairstylist who gave up a promising life to stay home. Her portrayal has a strong ring of truth to it. Sister Lurlene (Diana Lee Solorzano), a preacher's wife, plays the voice of reason throughout most of the story. Alas, even a preacher's wife can break down into a raw emotional outburst.
The brat sister, Evalita (Christy Linden), is a totally self-centered singer wannabe. She brings along her brand new fiance, Harmony (Michael Thomas), a guitarist. Linden's first stage experience is a delight to watch. Thomas' character appears rather bland through much of this production. However, he finally has an opportunity to blossom when tensions mount.
For pure villainy, David Netteland's brother Orville is perfect. He is waiting only for the moment of Daddy's death to collect his inheritance. Orville treats his wife like dirt. Actually, he treats just about everybody pretty badly. Finally, there is Marlene (Dana DeGoes), Orville's persecuted wife. Her beehive hair, although not blue, would do Marge Simpson credit. DeGoes plays Marlene quite pitifully; we have to have sympathy for her.
Shores, a prolific screen and television writer who went back to his roots to develop this story, creates a play of stereotypes. A couple of basically bad characters, a couple of pitiful characters, and a couple you could really learn to like. I won't reveal the changed characters, that would give away some essential plot points.
Daddy's Dyin' Who's Got The Will? is directed by Al Valletta. He certainly cast to type. Each actor has the right look for his character. However, whether it was opening-night jitters, the huge audience, or something else, the pacing on the night I attended was inconsistent. The show became overly long, even factoring in the long intermission due to a large theater party. A scene of searching for the will seemed endless and unconvincing.
The set, a living room, is excellently designed and decorated. The furnishings work very well, right down to Mama Wheelis' rocking chair. The design offers apparent access to the whole ranch house. Rob Wolter's lighting works well, too. Jill Carrozzo and Yolanda Kalb's costumes capture each character's personality. The music adds much to the show, especially the final number, "Into The Garden."
Daddy's Dyin' looks deeply into the true feelings of heirs. We see them at their worst, at their best, and, occasionally, at their most humorous. We can even empathize with some of them. The production has much going for it and is sure to mature after the first few days.
