by BRIAN MOYLAN, David Atlanta Magazine
Conniving trailer park queens, passive-aggressive Pollyannas, homicidal mothers-in-law, Lifetime Television tearjerkers and power lesbians. The mamas of playwright Topher Payne’s world may mean well but they are anything but nurturing. In the local theater darling’s newest concoction with Process Theatre, “Bad Mama,” Payne cleverly and uproariously creates a patchwork yarn from seemingly unconnected swatches of short scenes.In three separate sections comprised of a triumvirate of shorts, the playwright and his zany cast of characters, tells a tale that is tickly, timely and riotous.
Two of the “playlets,” “A Lifetime Original Movie Starring Judith Light” and “Entertaining Lesbians” run the course of the play with each scene expanding on each story. The weakest of the pieces, “Judith Light” concerns a Lifetime original movie with the former sitcom star (Jane Bass) as a mother who faces every crisis — “incurable female disease,” serial killer husband, abusive son, cheerleader-turned-crack-whore daughter — with a fresh cup of coffee and ready smile. As Judith, Bass is an eerily close impersonation to the actress. Bass has definitely seen her share of Lifetime and knows every canned nuance and gesture. In a later scene, “Entertaining Lesbians,” playing trailer park mama Ethelene, the actress gets to really shine.
In “Lesbians,” one of Payne’s better scenes and a pitch-perfect satire on Inman Park culture, all hell breaks loose when social climbing couple Rowena “Ro-Ro” (Marcie Millard) and Tad “Taddy” (Larry Davis) plan a visit from power lesbians, hoping to exploit the couple’s pull to leverage a spot for their daughter in a prestigious school. The cunning couple goes so far as to solicit support from their African-American maid, Mrs. Kelley (Alexius Hale), to pose as their friend to earn some liberal cred. When the “boring Quaker white bread” couple ask her to call them by their “pet” names, she asks to be called “Lucretia” and scores one of the biggest laughs of the show. The couple says they never knew her first name was “Lucretia.” It’s not, she replies, she’s just always wanted to be a “Lucretia.” In Payne’s world, it seems, everyone has dirty little secrets lurking in the back of their closets. And that’s what makes this show so much fun.
The playwright takes a bleaker turn in the scene “Wish You Were Here,” in which a divorced couple, Geneva (Rachel Sorsa) and Tony (Paine Calabro) compete for the affections of their daughter via written correspondence. Geneva, queen of the passive-aggressives, and Tony, the overly indulgent, and now out and living in New York with his lover, vie for their daughter’s love while cutting one another to shreds. In “What Are You Expecting?” Shelley (Millard) plots the birth of her baby and the life they will have. Her son — she will name him Lorenzo — will be fabulous. And gay. “The Groom’s Cake” offers up a wedding with murderous results for sickly-sweet mama Ruth (Frankie L. Earle).
In the last scene, a reprise of “Entertaining Lesbians,” all the disparate characters are tied together in a completely implausible, but extremely entertaining, climax. Payne is certainly not afraid to go over the top and his actors obviously enjoy the wild ride he gives them. Not to be outdone, the playwright adds depth to what on its surface could be construed as a fun and frolicsome piffle. Notably, the absence of children makes the viewer wonder what the impact these bad mamas have on their babies. Even when bad things happen to the children (Tony and Geneva’s daughter, for one), they’re off-stage.
Nice too, is that the out Payne never overplays stale gay themes through his characters. In his tales, the gay characters are as wicked, vindictive — and as the title suggests — just plain bad as their straight counterparts. It’s nice not be to be pigeonholed as the supportive friend, the wacky sidekick or the life of the party. “Bad Mama” Director Lily Yancey-Miller has a riotous time with this show, giving the actors plenty of space to fully enjoy this outlandish tale. For in his latest work, Topher Payne shows us how perfectly, vulgarly fabulous being a “Bad Mama” can be.
Conniving trailer park queens, passive-aggressive Pollyannas, homicidal mothers-in-law, Lifetime Television tearjerkers and power lesbians. The mamas of playwright Topher Payne’s world may mean well but they are anything but nurturing. In the local theater darling’s newest concoction with Process Theatre, “Bad Mama,” Payne cleverly and uproariously creates a patchwork yarn from seemingly unconnected swatches of short scenes.In three separate sections comprised of a triumvirate of shorts, the playwright and his zany cast of characters, tells a tale that is tickly, timely and riotous.Two of the “playlets,” “A Lifetime Original Movie Starring Judith Light” and “Entertaining Lesbians” run the course of the play with each scene expanding on each story. The weakest of the pieces, “Judith Light” concerns a Lifetime original movie with the former sitcom star (Jane Bass) as a mother who faces every crisis — “incurable female disease,” serial killer husband, abusive son, cheerleader-turned-crack-whore daughter — with a fresh cup of coffee and ready smile. As Judith, Bass is an eerily close impersonation to the actress. Bass has definitely seen her share of Lifetime and knows every canned nuance and gesture. In a later scene, “Entertaining Lesbians,” playing trailer park mama Ethelene, the actress gets to really shine.
In “Lesbians,” one of Payne’s better scenes and a pitch-perfect satire on Inman Park culture, all hell breaks loose when social climbing couple Rowena “Ro-Ro” (Marcie Millard) and Tad “Taddy” (Larry Davis) plan a visit from power lesbians, hoping to exploit the couple’s pull to leverage a spot for their daughter in a prestigious school. The cunning couple goes so far as to solicit support from their African-American maid, Mrs. Kelley (Alexius Hale), to pose as their friend to earn some liberal cred. When the “boring Quaker white bread” couple ask her to call them by their “pet” names, she asks to be called “Lucretia” and scores one of the biggest laughs of the show. The couple says they never knew her first name was “Lucretia.” It’s not, she replies, she’s just always wanted to be a “Lucretia.” In Payne’s world, it seems, everyone has dirty little secrets lurking in the back of their closets. And that’s what makes this show so much fun.
The playwright takes a bleaker turn in the scene “Wish You Were Here,” in which a divorced couple, Geneva (Rachel Sorsa) and Tony (Paine Calabro) compete for the affections of their daughter via written correspondence. Geneva, queen of the passive-aggressives, and Tony, the overly indulgent, and now out and living in New York with his lover, vie for their daughter’s love while cutting one another to shreds. In “What Are You Expecting?” Shelley (Millard) plots the birth of her baby and the life they will have. Her son — she will name him Lorenzo — will be fabulous. And gay. “The Groom’s Cake” offers up a wedding with murderous results for sickly-sweet mama Ruth (Frankie L. Earle).
In the last scene, a reprise of “Entertaining Lesbians,” all the disparate characters are tied together in a completely implausible, but extremely entertaining, climax. Payne is certainly not afraid to go over the top and his actors obviously enjoy the wild ride he gives them. Not to be outdone, the playwright adds depth to what on its surface could be construed as a fun and frolicsome piffle. Notably, the absence of children makes the viewer wonder what the impact these bad mamas have on their babies. Even when bad things happen to the children (Tony and Geneva’s daughter, for one), they’re off-stage.
Nice too, is that the out Payne never overplays stale gay themes through his characters. In his tales, the gay characters are as wicked, vindictive — and as the title suggests — just plain bad as their straight counterparts. It’s nice not be to be pigeonholed as the supportive friend, the wacky sidekick or the life of the party. “Bad Mama” Director Lily Yancey-Miller has a riotous time with this show, giving the actors plenty of space to fully enjoy this outlandish tale. For in his latest work, Topher Payne shows us how perfectly, vulgarly fabulous being a “Bad Mama” can be.
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