By Marilyn Lester***Among a handful of America’s top-tier, premiere dramatists, Tennesse Williams’ star shines as one of the brightest. He’s best known for classic and important works such as The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Rose Tattoo, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Sweet Bird of Youth and The Night of the Iguana, among others. But, what may not be apparent to most is that Williams was a relentless and prolific writer of essays, letters, memoirs, music lyrics, poetry, short stories and novels. From the 1930s through the 1980s he also wrote around 46 one-act plays, including The Case of the Crushed Petunias (1941), The Lady of Larkspur Lotion (1941), Moony’s Kid Don’t Cry (1930/1941) and Hello, from Bertha (1946). These are the works currently being produced by Merciful Delusions Productions on Theatre Row.
In The Case of the Crushed Petunias, Dorothy Simple (Michelle Oppedisano), a woman trapped in her job at a prim and proper notions shop in equally prim and proper Massachusetts, has her life turned upside down by a mysterious stranger (Martin Riofrio), a representative of Life, Inc, who had recently trampled the petunias in her shop’s garden. Eventually, Miss Simple breaks free with a vow to live! Ancillary are prim shop patron Mrs. Dull (Elizabeth Bove) and investigating Officer (JR Carter). In The Lady of Larkspur Lotion, with allusions to Blanche DuBois (A Streetcar Named Desire), a delusional lady of the evening (Aurore Quintard) is confronted by her landlady, Mrs. Wire (Elizabeth Bove), who demands the rent our heroine can’t pay. Also appearing is the sympathetic Writer (Josh Freed).
After a 15-minute intermission, the production continues with Moony’s Kid Don’t Cry, which originated as an eight-page melodrama titled Hot Milk at Three in the Morning. Moony (Joey Welsh) and his wife Jane (Natalie Neckyfarow) spar over the ins and outs of their relationship. A twist ending leaves Moony holding the bag, which in this case is his infant son. In 
Hello, from Bertha, the life and death of the prostitute Bertha (Merciful Delusions founder and head, Nicole Gut) is played out in narrative with the Madam, Goldie (Marie-Claire Giraud) and a sympathetic young prostitute, Lena (Elena Clark). JR Carter makes a very brief appearance as a Pimp.
Whereas Merciful Delusions Productions is to be commended for bringing attention to the lesser-known and often forgotten works of Williams, the production’s reach exceeds its grasp. Williams’ writing is demanding. He’s essentially a gothic writer, driven by his own demons of existential angst. Even with lighter works—some poignant, some witty and funny, some aspirational—there are layers and nuances that demand to be communicated with a deep understanding of the text, and thus, with authority. While the cast of these four works are enthusiastic, committed and strive to attain the brass ring, the overall acting is inconsistent, with Giraud and Welsh particular standouts in their respective roles. Direction by Lorraine Serabian did little to help her actors achieve their best. The question remains: did she truly 
understand the material she was working with?
Lighting Designer Adrien Yuen was hobbled by the lack of up-to-date instruments in Theater One. Scenic design was slap-dash. The stage elements had the feeling of a last-minute raid on a thrift shop, as did costumes (no credit is given for costume design). As for Frederick Philp’s music and sound design, a haphazardly curated set of songs at ear-splitting level preceded the curtain and continued unabated during intermission.
Still, patrons would do well to experience these rarely-produced works of an American playwright icon. The chance may never come again to witness such theatrical writing genius.
Merciful Delusions—4-One Act Plays by Tennesee Williams plays through Saturday, November 12. For more information and tickets, click here.
Theatre Row is located at 410 West 42nd Street, New York, NY
