By Bart Greenberg***The Porch on Windy Hill is described as “a new play with old music.” Currently playing at Urban Stages (through February 22), the “old” music is of the folk genre—and for those not familiar with this style, the evening provides a fine sampling of its variety. Moreover, the three 
principals are all gifted in performing the songs live with strong instrumentals and vocals, an intrinsic part of the characters, and far from the contrivances of some musicals lacking in such authenticity. For this cast, communicating via music is far more effective than words.
The characters are Beckett (Morgan Morse), an enthusiastic young man researching the multi-cultural influences of folk music for his Masters of Fine Arts (he does gets a bit pretentious on the subject at times); his troubled Korean-American girlfriend Mira (Tora Nagami Alexander), uncomfortable with her own musical gifts and ambivalent about her past; and Edgar (David M. Lutken), her long-estranged grandfather, a semi-legendary musician. What caused that estrangement is the core of the play. The family drama of The Porch on Windy Hill links it to other rural Southern plays: the Talleys (of Lanford Wilson’s The Talley Trilogy) no doubt live down the 
hill from these folks, and Annie Nations, the matriarch of Foxfire must certainly live over the next mountain ridge.
It’s rather unusual for a play to have four credited authors—at least a good play, especially when they also are busy contributing other elements to the show. Morse and Lutken, who also serves as music director, along with Sherry Stregack Lutken, who directed the presentation, and Lisa Helmi Johanson are all cited as writers. And yet all of these cooks have rendered a deep, smooth, satisfying broth.
The acting is subtle. The body language between Alexander and Morse suggests a caring, mutually satisfying relationship even among the sniping and rocky moments. Lutken’s hesitant body language for the granddaughter he is eager to embrace is clear, even as he replaces his feelin
gs with constant efforts to share and rediscover items from the past, as well as sidetrack certain topics with another old song. These characters are three people we want to spend time with, flaws and all. Credit is owed to both the actors and director.
The worlds they live in, both past and present, are vividly brought to life: family members whose lives had an impact on the trio; the new neighbors down the hill; and the dozens of famous folk artists whose names may not mean anything to much of the audience (a glossary in the program would be welcome)—but the characters’ knowledge of them makes their importance clear. The specificity makes the story real; the attention to detail is even reflected in the atmospheric set by Andrew Robinson.
At times the narrative seems to drag a bit; perhaps there is one song too many. But the laid-back tempo is suitable to the characters and the setting. The Porch on Windy Hill is a quiet, gentle meditation on long-held hurts, and the need to rectify them before moving on, and on the gentle mercies that heal the wounds. This is a play that lives on in the hearts of the audience after the end of the performance.
The Porch on Windy Hill plays at Urban Stages, 259 W. 30th St., NYC, through February 22. Tickets are available through events.ticketleap.com or at the box office.
Photos by Ben Hider
