Jennifer Kingry and Dana Skiles in Collected Stories
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. It’s good advice, especially when that hand is feeding both your career and your ego. And once the teeth come out, don’t be surprised if the treats are replaced by a rolled-up newspaper. Director Mike Skiles and the Richmond Hill Players explore that tricky territory in their current production Collected Stories.
Donald Margulies’ drama follows Ruth Steiner (Jennifer Kingry), an established writer, and Lisa Morrison (Dana Skiles), the talented young grad student who becomes her protégé. What begins as a mutually rewarding literary relationship gradually becomes more complicated as Lisa comes into her own and both women are forced to confront some uncomfortable questions about where inspiration ends and appropriation begins. Along the way, the play explores the sometimes blurry boundaries of artistic ownership – and whether the person who helps you find your voice gets any say in what you eventually say with it. We were there for the opening-night performance on October 1.
Kitty: This play had some strong All About Eve vibes.
Mischa: Yes. Lisa begins as an over-the-top devoted fan, played by Skiles with an awkward hesitancy that she preserves as she goes through her transformation – ensuring that Lisa doesn’t lose any sympathy when she becomes a “big deal.”
K: She’s definitely the more sympathetic character right off the bat. In their first meeting, Kingry establishes Ruth as the no-nonsense veteran writer. And poor little overeager Lisa is just another item on her to-do list. Ruth is gracious in her professorial feedback, but you can tell that she just wants Lisa out of her hair. It kind of felt like watching an adult try to bake something while a child “helps” them. The kid might turn out to have culinary talent, but there’s still a high probability that the process will take longer, and the kitchen will be messier than if it had been a solo venture.
M: Ruth’s frustration at the disturbance was palpable and nicely encapsulated from the start by her attempt to let Lisa into her apartment by shouting to her from the window and throwing a key down to her because the buzzer doesn’t work. The misunderstandings in this sequence are funny, too, but equally serve to demonstrate how hard it is to break through Ruth’s protective shell.
K: And what makes it even more entertaining is that Lisa seems to be planning to do exactly that. You get the sense that she’s been fantasizing about this meeting, imagining herself as the standout student who will win Ruth’s favor and, ideally, a place in her inner circle. Without preamble, she bursts out with “Is it true you need a new assistant?” and barely waits for an answer before asking, “Can I apply?” She has all the energy and enthusiasm of a puppy begging to play fetch.
M: All that is to say that Collected Stories' two-person cast does a great job establishing a subtle and slowly evolving relationship from start to finish. The scenes take place over the span of a few years, and each new development has a quiet but deep impact. The subtlety and quietness, though, do mean that the tone is low-key throughout, possibly too low-key overall. Especially in certain scenes, I would have liked more overt tension and some louder raised voices.
K: I actually thought the low-key quality was more of a strength than a drawback. For me, the subtlety is what made the relationship feel realistic. I think that Ruth’s restraint, especially, is partly why she's so compelling. Part of the tension comes from the fact that she’s so sparing with her feelings. Kingry was very adept at expressing Ruth’s emotions through small shifts in her behavior. We can see her gradually become more vulnerable, but her core stoicism remains the same. That made the gradual evolution of her relationship with Lisa feel all the more believable to me. And I thought Lisa’s exuberance helped keep the tone from becoming monotonous. The two women have such different rhythms. Ruth is measured and contained, while Lisa is eager, impulsive, and constantly pushing things forward. So there’s actually quite a bit of variety in their interactions, even when the overall tone remains quiet. I liked that the actors made use of those small moments rather than feeling the need to manufacture bigger, more overt conflict. It felt very grounded and lifelike.
M: We got a solid, convincing portrayal of these two characters – and there are certainly no pyrotechnics. I think, at this point, we’re consciously shying away from giving spoilers about where exactly they end up, but suffice it to say that the twists and turns of their relationship conclude with a truly heart-wrenching last couple of scenes.
K: I liked pretty much everything about the play itself. It has compelling characters, and Kingry and Skiles made wonderful scene partners. The only real weaknesses were between scenes.
M: The transitions really did take a long time, although it seems that this was largely due to the logistics of costume changes. The transition music, on the other hand, was lovely – some quiet classic jazz numbers, perhaps intended to help evoke Greenwich Village of a bygone mid-20th-century era, the time period of Ruth’s early career.
K: Collected Stories was very good, especially considering the production had to navigate some significant changes along the way. Mike Skiles stepped in partway through the process when the original director had to bow out for personal reasons, and Dana Skiles likewise stepped in when the original Lisa had to leave the production. Despite those setbacks, the show never felt as though it had suffered from these behind-the-scenes changes.
M: Agreed. If you’re looking for a thought-provoking exploration of creativity and its human pitfalls, performed with heart and conviction – and you should be! – come on out to this show!
Collected Stories runs at the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre (600 Robinson Drive, Geneseo IL) through October 11, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)944-2244 and visiting RHPlayers.com.
