Ancestral Voices (Left to right) Rene
Auberjonois, Fred Savage and
Katherine Helmond star in "Ancestral Voices," a
new play at the Falcon Theater.
By Andie Dingman
Daily Bruin Contributor
Changing family dynamics are a universal, yet personal aspect of
life.
This theme is explored in the West Coast premiere of the play
“Ancestral Voices,” which opened last weekend at the
Falcon Theatre in Burbank.
Dealing with one family’s issues with divorce in the 1930s
and 1940s, “Voices” strikes a chord with young adults
who can relate to the story’s narrator, Eddie, played by Fred
Savage (“The Wonder Years”).
Falcon Theatre producer Meryl Freedman spoke about the
play’s story line in a recent interview.
“It’s the story of a wealthy and eccentric family
that lives in Buffalo, right before World War II,” she
said.
“It’s what happens when the matriarch of the family,
the grandmother, decides to leave the grandfather for another man
and it’s how it kind of leaves the family in turmoil,”
she continued.
The story line of “Voices” is told though
Savage’s character, Eddie, the grandson who over the course
of the play, ages from third grade to adulthood.
“Voices” is the 25th full-length play written by
A.R. Gurney, well know for his classic “Love Letters.”
Both Savage and Freedman were drawn to “Voices” in
large part due to the quality of the script.
“We thought it was very beautifully written and we thought
it was a well-told story of a family and a family dynamic,”
said Freedman. “Stylistically, it’s a very interesting
play in how it’s structured.”
Similar to “Love Letters,” “Voices” is
not your typical play.
“Because the play’s kind of scaled down, it’s
a staged reading,” Savage explained, cutting into the
question. “It’s the same guy who wrote this play
“˜Love Letters,’ which was really popular, where the
characters kind of just sit and it’s not a whole staged,
acted out play; they’re written just to be read to the
audience.
“It’s less of a linear kind of traditional story
plot, you know, like a conflict-resolution play, and it’s
more of a portrait of this family and the relationships between
them as the years kind of progress,” Savage continued.
“So it’s much more cleverly done. It’s much more
overt and it’s really subtle and it’s kind of just a
really nice tapestry of this family.”
Besides dealing with the effect of divorce on a family,
“Voices” also touches on feminism and the influence of
one’s ancestors.
“I think it’s an interesting take on an American
family,” Freedman said. “I think that, set in the
’30s and ’40s, you don’t often see a story which
is about a woman doing what she wants to do, certainly not in that
time period.
“And then it’s about how this particular family
deals with a strong-willed woman when that was not the role of
women at that time,” she continued. “In particular,
it’s how a young man deals with his grandmother and
grandfather as role models and the importance of grandparents in
the lives of young people.”
“Voices” is directed by acclaimed television and
theater director Gordon Hunt and also features actors Robert
Foxworth, Rene Auberjonois, Mariette Hartley, and Katherine
Helmond.
Though unapologetically simple, “Voices” is complex
in terms of the relationships between the characters and its main
issues.
“It’s a really warm, kind of open, really kind of
friendly play that deals with kind of just this family and their
relationships,” Savage said. “You know, it’s not
really, it’s not flashy, it’s not sexy and it’s
not kinda sensational in any way, but it’s a really nice,
sweet story about this family.”
THEATER: “Ancestral Voices” is showing at the Falcon
Theatre, 4252 Riverside Drive through Nov. 26. Performances are
Thursday through Sunday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Tickets
are $25 for Thursday, $30 for Friday and Sunday and $35 for
Saturday night. Student and senior rush tickets are available
30 minutes before curtain. For more information call (818)
955-8101.