Daren Scott, Rosina Reynolds and Dana Case in Humble Boy
Photo Credit: Adam Brick
Two weeks ago, on the Saturday before the fires, I went to see the New Village Arts' production of Humble Boy . I was all set to write about the play on Monday, fresh with insights and generally impressed with the whole affair. Of course, by 5 a.m. Monday, with fires burning north and south and producing live coverage from the studio, my mind was light years away from the English country garden that provides the setting for Humble Boy .
But now I can return. Thankfully. The Humble's garden is an interesting place to be, full of bee trivia, astrophysics, and, most centrally, family strife. The story centers on Felix Humble, a 35-year-old astrophysicist who has returned home for the funeral of his father, a prominent entomologist and beekeeper who died in the family garden. Felix's mother, Flora, is a handful. She's been valued for her beauty most of her life and as she ages, she fears irrelevance. Flora has also been having an affair, bored as she was with the devotion of her husband. Felix discovers his mother's affair during this visit and his anger mixed with his grief makes him... you guessed it... Hamlet! Hamlet, but surrounded by funnier people.
There's even an Ophelia in the role of Rosie, played by Jessica John, who I recently saw in Cygnet Theater's Communicating Doors . She's good in this production too, and keeping excellent company. Rosina Reynolds plays Flora, investing her with the right mix of bitterness, fragility and want of affection. Reynolds is always a pleasure to watch, and this role gives her plenty to work with.
Jim Chovick makes an impression as George Pye, Flora's crass and blustery love interest. He looks a little like W.C. Fields, wearing the uniform of a used car salesman. He's a blowhard with a big heart. George makes character-revealing statements like this one about his daughter: "She's not a looker but she's got character and I love her to bits." He makes you cringe, but he's also strangely lovable.
Humble Boy was written by British playwright Charlotte Jones. It's dense writing at times, but often really funny. The ending is predictable but touching - in large part because Rosina Reynolds just nails it. She has a "eureka moment" -- a theme in the play -- and while it could go terribly sentimental, it steers clear because of her performance.
Humble Boy runs through November 11th at New Village Arts, which finally has a new space. They're no longer in the Jazzercise building, though they still have a big Jazzercise ad in the program catalog featuring a woman sleek and toned. I was slightly bitter about the ad, only because I saw it after helping myself to cookies during intermission.
At any rate, the new space is refreshing - it's in downtown Carlsbad on B Street. And for the next two weeks, it comes equipped with its own English garden and bee hive!
