Warm Romance for Cool Days of Fall
BY DANA SPECTOR / AJT //
“Talley’s Folly”, the award-winning romantic comedy by Lanfod Wilson, is the current offering at the Cumming Playhouse through Nov. 3.
“Folly” won the Pulitzer Prize in 1979, and in 1990 the show won the New York Critics Award for Best Play of the 1980s.
The play, starring Joel Altherr as Matt Friedman and Hailey Fowler as Sally Talley, is produced by the Company Players and directed by Gabriel Russo.
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“Talley’s Folly” tells the story of one night in the lives of two unlikely sweethearts, Matt and Sally, as they struggle to fall in love in 90 minutes, the length of the play.
Matt, a Jewish accountant of 40, takes the lead in this moonlight sonata, set in a dilapidated boathouse on the grounds of the grand family home where a much younger Sally lives, somewhat unhappily.
While on vacation in Lebanon, Mo. during the summer of 1943, Matt met Sally and saw her every day for a week. He has since sent her a letter nearly every day, and though the single reply from Sally gave him no hope for romantic encouragement, he has bravely returned one year later to ask her to marry him.
Matt’s arrival creates quite a stir in Sally’s conservative Protestant household, where a Jewish man is not warmly welcomed, especially when his intentions are to court their daughter.
Though he stays firm to his convictions, Matt has to be back in St. Louis in the morning, so things must be settled on this night. Little by little they crack their hard shells, like eggs (as Matt puts it) and reveal themselves. Each believes that there are ‘secrets’ to be uncovered before the night is through.
The question is, as always, will love win out?
At a glance
“Talley’s Folly”, Cumming Playhouse, through Nov. 3; 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday; Tickets, $20; $15 for seniors, veterans, minors, and groups of over 25.
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