By Shari Barrett
Becky’s New Car, written by Steven Dietz, asks the universal question, “have you ever been tempted to flee your own life for something you think will be more fulfilling?” Such is the case for Rebecca (Becky) Foster who is caught in middle age, middle management, and in a middling marriage to Joe the Roofer, with no prospects for change on the horizon. Never one to hide her deeply felt ruminations, Becky often breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the audience asking for guidance on what she should do. Thus, we become part of her life from the very beginning., drawing us into an examination of what’s more important – comfort or excitement?
Becky often breaks the fourth wall as she shares personal words of wisdom, starting with her observation that “when a woman says she wants new shoes, what she really wants is a new job. When she says she wants a new house, what she really wants is a new husband. And when she says she wants a new car, what she really wants is a new life.” Then we are invited to follow along as Becky seeks out all three things in ways she never could have imagined during her younger and much more conservative days.
Fate steps in late one night when Walter, a grief-struck widower and socially inept millionaire, stumbles into the car dealership where Becky works as the office manager. Bewildered about what to give his staff as gifts until he drives by and sees the brightly lit cars in the showroom, Walter first convinces Becky to immediately sell him 9 new cars, and then winds up offering her nothing short of a new life. But will this middle-aged, married-to-a-plumber mother of a 26-year-old still-living-at-home son decide to give it all up and pursue the type of life she thinks she has always wanted? Laughs and emotional insights follow Becky’s every move as she invites the audience to follow along as her journey winds around both sides of her life, each with its own pull to keep her there.
This cerebral comedy with serious overtones offers a devious and delightful romp down the road not taken, directed with emotional insight by Cate Caplin who shares, “on the surface this piece has elements of a screwball comedy, but it is also a deeply thoughtful drama about the nature of love, fidelity and second chances.” And in the end, will you be a member of Team Joe or Team Walter when Becky makes her choice?
The cast features a tour-de-force performance by Jenn Robbins as Becky searching for meaning and fulfillment; Grinnell Morris as her hard-working pizza-and-beer husband Joe; Riley Introcaso as their son Chris whose psychology studies allow him to speak with authority about each personality trait on display as the cast’s paths intertwine; tall and handsome Christopher Franciosa as the wealthy Walter who is smitten with Becky from the moment they meet; Isabella DiBernardino as his daughter Kenni who longs to run away from her family wealth as much as Becky wants to run to it; Kristin Towers-Rowles as curvaceous Ginger who was brought up wealthy but lost it all and now seeks the attention of a man for her future security by parading around like a caricature of Jessica Rabbit; and John Combs as car salesman Steve who winds up figuring out the truth behind Becky’s lies and deception – and uses it to his advantage.
The entire cast is to be commended for their top-notch character-driven performances, no doubt thanks to the guidance of director Caplin who has produced, directed, and choreographed over 200 productions seen on television, film, music videos, commercials, and on worldwide theatrical stages to much acclaim.
Technical credits enhance all the artistic elements of the production, from the multi-location set design by Jeff G. Rack, glorious gowns and down-to-earth fashions by costume designer Michael Mullen, lighting design by Derrick McDaniel, sound design by Nick Foran which includes several songs about life choices and roads taken, hair design by Judi Lewin, with kudos to hard-working stage manager Peter Miller and his assistant Audrey Eck who takes on a small, supportive role in the production.
Becky’s New Car by Steven Dietz, directed by Cate Caplin, and produced by David Hunt Stafford, continues in the Mary Levin Cutler Theatre at Theatre 40, 241 S. Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills 90212 through June 15 on Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Sundays at 2 p.m., and Saturday, June 14 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The venue is on the campus of Beverly Hills High School with free parking available in the lot adjacent to the theatre by entering through the driveway at the intersection of Durant and Moreno Drives. To reserve seats, call (310) 364-0535 and leave your preferred date to attend, your name and call back phone number. The box office will call you back only if there is a problem with your request. Arrive a half hour early to pay for tickets at the box office. Online tickets and more information available at http://theatre40.org
