Theater Review
from The Two River Times
by Philip Dorian

WORLD PREMIERE DRAMA SUCCEEDS SPLENDIDLY

Ideally, if a play's any good, you go in not knowing anything about the characters, and two hours later you know them intimately - better maybe than they know themselves. So it is with Winterizing the Summer House, a play by Gino DiIorio that succeeds splendidly as both drama and comedy in spite of its cumbersome title. In this smooth, intelligent play, siutations evolve naturally and the dialogue flows conversationally, revealing three characters who command you fondness. Until Steven, Abbi and John need to tell stuff to one another, there's no extraneous exposition. The subtle, insightful direction is barely perceptible; under Jacqueline Berger's astute hand, these people's motivations and actions seem inner directed. And the acting is superb. Comparing plays defies apple-to-applesness, but this play ranks among New Jersey Repertory Company's best.

College teacher and photographer Steven (Chris Tomaino) and his apprentice Abbi (Dana Benningfield) are wrapping up a summer of work on Martha's Vineyard, where he snapped and she developed photos of things, places and people. most notably consenting women on the nude beach. Only now, on the next-to-last day, do they even contemplate a possible romantic involvement. (That's a real stretch, considering the isolated setting, the collaborative nature of their work and the flat-out good looks on 'em both, but it's essential to the play).

John (John FitzGibbon), a former academic colleague of Steven's shows up unannounced, ostensibly for a social visit and some fishing. He's actually packing a ton of baggage (not suitcases) and a needy agenda. Scenes ensue among the three of them and alos between the three possible twosomes. So smooth are the segues and so slick is the acting, that none of the entrances and exits, carefully times as they may be, appears contrived.

Tomaino's role is the least flashy, but to say he contributes less than the others is like saying Dean Martin was less than half of that team. Steven is conflicted toward Abbi, conflicted toward John, and really conflicted toward Abbi and John. His integrity actually gets in his way, but straight arrow that the character might be, Tomaino explores layers of Steven well beyond the obvious. Benningfield is a sublime actor. She does more while listening than most do speaking, and more with a glance than most with a flourish. If Abbi is not both virtuous and eminently desirable, Winterizing doesn't work. Benningfield's Abbi is both, and the play definitely works.

FitzGibbon plays a character given to extremes: John is a boisterous alcoholic, subject ot mood swings, self-deception and occasional outbursts. In short, Mr. DiIorio's character John overacts. But Mrs. FitzGibbon's son John does not. The dissolute, aging academic is not exactly an original figure, but when craftily written and acted, as here, he's a venerable one. (His morning-after hangover - agin, not overacted - actually left me cotton-mouthed.)

Fred Kinney's set design is masterful. A perspective and a slight rake deepen the space, and this summer house comes with a deck and a ramp to the beach. The lighting design (Jeff Greenberg) not only capture the times of day perfectly, but we even sense approaching autumn.

The play is about emotional neediness, academic integrity and important stuff like that, but it doesn't stint on humor. These are intelligent people and their repartee, sometimes coarse, often sarcastic, scores a direct hit on your brain's funny bone. Small cast plays, especially full length ones, often rely on external devices to supplement their sparse population: Phone conversations, for example, or pivotal other characters who never appear. Not so with Winterizing. It all happens in-house and in near-real time, with other people mentioned only to flesh out DiIorio's trio.

Winterizing certainly isn't perfect; one can question some of the behavior, and the ending is vaguely unsatisfying - either too abrupt or too protracted, not sure which. But this is the play's first professional production, and there are inches (well, yards) to go before they sleep. Besides, how can you quibble about a play that shows you how to concoct a margarita right in your mouth? Now if DiIorio will only dump that title.