Girls All Grown Up

The program cover for Ross Valley Players’ new production, Top Girls, illustrates the dilemma: a woman’s legs are climbing a steep ladder, but she’s wearing high heels and a slit skirt. Can she make the climb? Should she?

British playwright Caryl Churchill has long been recognized for her successful feminist plays, most famous of which was Cloud Nine, which premiered in 1979. Top Girls followed in 1982, followed by Serious Money four years later. All of these won Obies. But it would be a mistake to assume that this material is now dated and dull. Churchill’s stagecraft is full of discovery, and what will help audiences appreciate this in Top Girls is to read page 11 of the program first.

The play’s opening appears to show a smartly-dressed hostess arranging a dinner party – and then the guests arrive. In full costume and talking over one another, are five extraordinary females, both real and fictional, describing their triumphs and hardships. Isabella Bird, a nineteenth century clergyman’s daughter, has escaped the life of an invalid and traveled all over the world, writing about her experiences. Lady Nijo, consort to the Emperor of Japan, has also written about her life in court after she was expelled and became a Buddhist nun. Pope Joan may or may not have been the successor to Leo IV, but if so, it was only while she maintained the disguise of a man. When that was no longer possible, she was stoned for the attempt, but she’s here at tonight’s party. Two other guests are fictitious: Dull Gret, Breughel’s warrior woman who led an assault on hell, and Patient Griselda, Chaucer and Boccaccio’s peasant, who waited all her obedient life for reward. (Griselda arrives at the party late, of course, but she’ll have dessert if everyone else is.)

All these partygoers are the hungry and thirsty guests of Marlene, who is celebrating her promotion to Managing Director of the Top Girls Employment Agency. Marlene’s worked hard for this position. She’s served her time, and she’s even unseated Howard, whose wife comes to reason with his successor to step down because, after all, Howard has three children.

The women who come to the agency for jobs have stories too. One hopes to save money for her wedding. One has been passed over for promotion after twenty-one years in the same job; she now wants out. And another, a persistent teenager named Angie, is just here to spend time with Marlene. Angie will have the last word in this play.

Top Girls’ Director, Chris Cassell, has kept a firm grip on this demanding script. With help from a shadowy, fast-moving crew of stagehands, Cassell arranges multiple scene changes with portable screens. The dinner guests sit along one side of a long, white-draped table that recalls DaVinci’s Last Supper. And when laundry is being folded from a basket, the items are clothes that would belong to an early ‘80s wardrobe.

This production has several outstanding scenes: Pope Joan’s long, fluid speech in Latin; Dull Gret’s description of her role in the battle; Joyce’s controlled narrative of her life in the suburbs; Angie and Kit’s sleepover chat in the backyard.

With the exception of Marlene (Loring Williams,) all the characters play multiple parts. Michelle Darby is both Joyce and Isabella Bird. Lina Makdisi portrays Lady Nijo and Win; Carolyn Power is seen as Pope Joan and Louise, the lady who’d missed a promotion. Susan Donnelly is the helmeted Dull Gret as well as Mrs. Kidd, while Theresa Miller is patient as both Griselda and Angie. Melissa Claire and Chelsea Stone serve as waitresses at the dinner as well as characters Jeanine and Nell, Kit and Shona.

This is a drama full of characters, past, present and absent. But it’s the absent ones – the children – who are the quiet engine behind this story.

Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls will play at The Ross Valley Players Barn Theatre, the Marin Art & Garden Center in Ross through June 20. Tickets range from $15 - $25.

In a separate event, The Ross Valley Players will celebrate its 80th anniversary with a festive gala to be held at The Barn on Sunday, June 27, from 2 to 5 p.m. Wine, a light buffet, entertainment, and prizes will be part of the celebration. Tickets to the party are $28.50 each.

For information about Top Girls or the 80th anniversary celebration, please see the website, www.rossvalleyplayers.com or call 456-9555.