Woman & Scarecrow

Back in 2006, I did my first theatre review for The Coast. The play was The Donahue Sisters by Irish playwright Geraldine Aron. Coincidentally, it was the first production by a brand new theatre company called LunaSea. I loved it. Flash forward four years, and I am again watching LunaSea perform a play by an Irish playwright, this time Woman & Scarecrow by Marina Carr. Again, I love it. It’s a surprisingly funny play about the last hours of woman, who seems to regret living almost as much as she does dying. Mary-Colin Chisholm (above, foreground) is the perfect actress for the role---from her flowing red hair to her “graveyard chic” cheekbones. Mauralea Austin is outstanding as the enigmatic Scarecrow, the woman’s tough and tender alter-ego. Sherry Smith is almost unrecognizable as the emotionally parsimonious Auntie Ah, but she gives a heartbreakingly hilarious performance. These women (including director Martha Irving) are truly at the top of their game.