"light-hearted, sassy, and charming..."

July 10, 2004 performance reviewed by Frances Benn Hall

"Xingu," Dennis Krausnick’s one-hour adaptation of Ediths Wharton’s short story, now playing at Ventfort Hall is a sheer delight! It is light-hearted, sassy, and charming, and it has a perfect cast.

There are, according to the program, seven women in the cast. The versatile and talented Anne Undeland, not only plays them all, but with such clarity and ease that we see all seven in the room at once. With the tilt of her head, a whirl of her body, a sudden change in the accent, tone or pacing of her voice, Anne flicks in and out of characters with apparent ease.

The plot concerns six women members of a luncheon club founded by a dreadful Mrs. Ballinger who is "an indomitable huntress of culture." The group includes other women, each with her own distinctive character bias, ranging from pseudo-intellectuals to timid yes-women, and each with a distinctive voice, manner, and accent. The guest of honor is Mrs. Osric Dane, the formidable author of a book called Wings of Death, which not enough of the women present are capable of discussing or have even completely read.

However, Mrs. Roby, the heroine and the only lovable member of the cast, (who has never read the book and never will, her copy having fallen into a river) saves the day by talking mysteriously of Xingu. The ladies present, avid for esoteric knowledge, are awed. Xingu seems to be some sort of mysterious cult and possibly has a dangerous philosophy. Worse still it has many branches. Its journey is long and hard and at times almost impossible to penetrate. The women attempting to participate in the discussion, baffled but fascinated, are a joy to behold. When the mystery of Xingu is finally revealed, the meeting breaks up in great disorder.

Therein lies the fun and the gentle satire. President Teddy Roosevelt, a great friend of Wharton’s, chose this as his favorite story. It is totally charming and played with impeccable skill. Director Normi Noel has paced the play and made some excellent decisions. The charming Mrs. Roby introduces each of the characters by donning a hat, created by costumer Govane Lohbauer, and in each case fitting and outfitting the character who wears it. But each wears it only during her introduction, the hats are then laid aside, the characters have been established and Undeland can slip into any one of them without needing the hat.

The setting is ideal: the great hall of the partially restored Gilded Age "cottage" that was in its prime at the turn of the past century, becoming a "showy" living room with many "important" books casually on display. Audience members are advised to go a bit early, stroll around the grounds of the mansion and view Sculptor Andrew DeVries sculptures. The building itself, still only half-restored, will be one you recognize if you saw the movie "The Cider House Rules" which filmed its exterior shots at Ventfort Hall a few years ago, employing many Lenox children as extras.

The book club, with its awful members, will be meeting with the charming Mrs.Roby for both matinee and evening performances until late August. A short visit to see what is going on at Ventfort Hall is a delightful experience. Edith Wharton would approve. Go and enjoy!