TO BELIEVE // A THEATRE REVIEW OF "FOR THE BENEFIT OF MISS JENNIE GOURLAY"

BY CHRISENA RICCI

On Monday night I slid into the comfort of a small black box theatre for a night of culture.  I often times get concerned when going to see a “solo” performance of anything, much less a self-written piece. And the simplicity of the set was not quelling my doubtful inner voice. My theatre companion and I exchanged nervous shrugs as the lights went down and FOR THE BENEFIT OF MISS JENNIE GOURLAY began. What came next was not what I was expecting at all.

For the Benefit... tells the tale of one man piecing together the fragments of Jennie Gourlay’s tireless and somewhat successful acting career from the 1800’s, to try to form a sort of road map for his acting future. Billy Hipkins, who is both the playwright and the actor, not only takes us on a journey between two separate lifetimes, but does so with honesty, nuance and energy. He, at times, has a tendency for the melodramatic, but anything less would be absurd. He bounces from character to character with a crisp deftness that leaves no confusion as to who is speaking. He even faints like a southern belle when his melodrama is too much for even himself. Surely, these winning moments are not only to be credited to superb acting, but also to the wonderful direction, and keen edited eye of Perry Dell’Aquila. Through these comedic and laugh-inducing moments, Hipkins tells a beautifully poignant story that leaves the audience feeling as though they have made two new, very dear friends. I found the performance enjoyable, haunting, intelligent, maybe a bit erratic, but beautifully different. Hipkins presents the facts about this mysterious woman, and the lost details of her life, but then says, all facts aside, “I choose to believe”. My favorite “choice to believe” was that not only was Miss Laura Keene a ‘butterface’, but the villain in this story. This new and interesting twist on a woman that I studied heavily within my theatre program in college is both intriguing and humorous. 

The run time is a nice trim 70 minutes, with no intermission. However, I could have easily watched and absorbed another half hour of the show with no complaint. The show’s mix of ghost story, memoir and historical non-fiction is a fascinating blend that kept me wanting more. The lights were a simple design, only noticeably changing once in a chilling way that left the audience breathless. While the set is simple, and the costumes limited to a well-tailored gray vest, Hipkins’ delicious language paints images that are oftentimes painfully real. My favorite thing about the script is that it not only bounces between timelines with effortless ease, it also holds beautiful descriptions about the clothing articles being worn. ‘Raddish red’ and the image of slowly decaying gold fabric are two that feel burned into my brain.

The only thing I didn’t care for was the timing of much needed sips of water. Hipkins is onstage for the entire 70 minutes, with no break, so the need for water makes sense and is completely forgivable. However, only a couple of those sips happen at well planned places in the script. Twice, Hipkins swigs out of the plain mug and gives a significant look to the audience, inspiring a chuckle or a sigh. I wonder if there might be more opportune moments for the re-hydration to occur.

At a Q&A session after the show Hipkins talks about how this adventure chose him, and took him to many unexpected places. He opens up about how the journey has been filled with excitement, joy, heart-wrenching discoveries, and ultimately a hopeful promise. The promise is simple, that Jennie Gourlay’s story will be told. Until this show, Gourlay was a woman whose story was previously only “sort-of” famous because of her ties to a great American tragedy. Her fame was not from her hardwork and devoted talent, and Billy Hipkins will not let that stand.

And After seeing this show, neither will the audience.

CHRISENA'S GRADE: A

WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY: Billy Hipkins DIRECTED BY: Perry Dell’Aquila LIGHTING AND SOUND: Sam Short

FINAL THOUGHTS: This is the beautiful love child between LOVE, LOSS AND WHAT I WORE and GONE WITH THE WIND.

CHRISENA RICCI once went to a costume party dressed in an all black dress and black wig. No one there could guess who she was. So she shouted out, "I'm Christina Ricci, without the T or I and add an E!" Everyone stood there confused, she was annoyed, so she stormed off. She never returned to that apartment ever again. Which is fine, because she later realized she was at the wrong party. She now lives in New York City.