It's 1944; the war is still very much on. The location is a river-front, dilapidated Victorian boathouse outside Lebanon, Missouri. Local Sally Talley (Amy Biedel) and out-of-towner Matt Friedman (David Ellenstein), a truly unlikely couple, are meeting. She is a Protestant southern gal; he is Jewish and from a big city. They met the previous year. Add to this unlikely mix that he is also 11 years older than she.
Lanford Wilson's Talley's Folly, currently at North Coast Rep, is a gentle, multi-faceted love story. It garnered a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1980. This production is as close to perfect as a play can get. The balance and contrast between Ellenstein and Biedel is magical.
Unlike many plays, Talley's Folly opens with Matt Friedman addressing the audience directly. He lets us know the proceedings will last 97 minutes; at least that is his hope to capture the story in that time. He explains about the set and why it is in such disrepair. Slowly the house lights dim, and Sally appears from the surrounding woods.
Many subjects are discussed by the two. It is somewhat like an intellectual cat-and-mouse game as they run through sidebars. Yet, they very slowly come to their own relationship. There are issues, lots of issues; between them and their families.
Ellenstein and Biedel captivate their audience. We are drawn into their story until we thirst for more with every passing minute. We learn about Sally's background, her father's business, and the trials and tribulations of the time, 1944.
We learn about Matt's background in Europe and his move to the U. S. and his eventual travels from his home in St. Louis to Lebanon. (Even today, Lebanon is small at just over 12,000 residents.)
I hope you can experience the pure joy of the relationship between Sally and Matt portrayed by these two excellent actors. Talley's Folly will provide you with a warm, happy pleasure for its 97 minutes. I wish there were even a few more.
