Review: There’s Chemistry and Magic In ‘The Manor’

Note: this review was written about a previous staging of “The Manor” in November 2021.

By John O. Buckley

The drive to “The Manor” might alone be worth the price of admission. Especially at night. There could be some drama here. Pass the Wawas and developments and hustle and bustle and a global pandemic then turn onto an old rutted gravel road through the woods past some deer and a fox to the old Greystone Hall on the hill. You know the drill. You’re going back in time and can see some lights on. They’re expecting you.

Inside, there’s wood paneling and chandeliers and pianos and fires in the fireplaces and rugs for days.

The rise and fall of the Doheny family of Beverly Hills and the similarly named Greystone Mansion in the Roaring ‘20s is the inspiration for this play about the fictional MacAlister family. The script by Kathrine Bates (not Kathy Bates) has been performed at the original Beverly Hills estate for nearly 20 years. This is its fourth year at historic Greystone Hall in West Chester, Pa.

Some scenes are so intimate or intense, you might feel uncomfortable. Or thrilled. Like, how much clothing is Abby Parsons MacAlister (played by Chelsea Flynn in her theatrical debut) going to take off? I mean, hello, Abby, I’m sitting right here in your bedroom on your wedding night. You know I’m here, right? ‘Cuz, you’re not acting like it. If this really is Flynn’s first acting role, you wouldn’t know.

 And there’s a scene with a gun. There’s a note in bold type about this in the printed program (“does NOT fire real ammunition”) handed out upon entering, but it might be too late since you’re so heavily invested. And at the same time, a scene like this might be too soon, in the wake of the recent and real shooting on a New Mexico set while filming the movie “Rust.”

Did that gun really just fire? Or did something backfire? There were gasps in the audience. But there were chuckles, too.

Some old pros are at work here: Director Sam Barrett, Jim Copeland as Charles MacAlister, Annaliese Gove as wife Marion MacAlister. And Brynne Maddrey plays the wildcard character Henrietta Havesham Pugh practically perfectly.

Going from room to room in the mansion, following the cast around is entertaining by itself. Hearing loud scenes in distant rooms while you’re in the middle of a quietly intense scene is not. (The audience–divided into groups–experiences different scenes in different rooms simultaneously.)  It’s kind of distracting, but, you know what? It’s also realistic. Remember trying to a steal a quiet moment in a room in someone’s mansion while hearing laughter in another room, and shouting in another?

Masks are requested. Some in the audience will wear them, some won’t. There’s one scene in a small room where you are handed one if you don’t have one.

Expect the whole show to last about two and a half hours. Opening night was closer to three. Part of that has to do with waiting for rooms to clear out before you are ushered in. But you can’t just barge into someone’s mansion and expect to roam freely. That’s right. There’s an elaborate dance taking place behind the scenes that must be impressive.

Maybe there were a few forgotten, flubbed or fudged lines, or a technical glitch or two, but that could be because this was the first night.  Unless you know the script, it might have even added to the intimacy. It’s the way people speak in crisis. And it’s the way good actors deal.

Intermission includes finger sandwiches and wedding cake, and a chance to catch your breath and wander and wonder.

There’s definitely chemistry and magic here. Thanks to the script and the actors and the folks at The Colonial Playhouse in Aldan, Pa., West Chester’s historic Greystone Hall might be the real star of the show. But maybe that’s the point.

www.greystonehall.com

Information about the September 2023 Production

“The Manor” at Greystone Hall in West Chester. The play will run Sept. 7-16, 2023.

CAST LIST