In “The Outgoing Tide,” a sharp, clever and pathos-rich play by CoHo Productions[1] , a man with Alzheimer’s, who feels he must prepare for the future, arrives at a solution neither his wife nor his grown son has even remotely considered.
"The Outgoing Tide"
Who: CoHo Productions
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, Oct. 18 through Nov. 9
Where: 2257 N.W. Raleigh St.
In its West Coast premiere, Bruce Graham’s well-crafted, socially pertinent play echoes “On Golden Pond” a bit, but it’s a meatier, funnier and less-sentimental piece. It poses the questions: Who takes care of someone who can no longer care for himself, and who decides where that care will come from, the afflicted or his nearest and dearest?
Tightly directed by Stephanie Mulligan, who co-produced the show with veteran actors Tobias Andersen and Jane Fellows, “Tide” abounds with one-liners, particularly from Andersen’s crusty character, Gunner, who snaps into lucidity with lightning-speed one moment and slips into forgetfulness the next. He knows he’s slipping. “My brain is like your Uncle Mike,” he quips to his son, Jack (Gary Norman). “It only works occasionally.” Anderson sometimes seems too nimble, rascally and hearty for a character descending into twilight, but his energy is appropriate and welcome: It keeps us entertained, and is vital to the play. Andersen obviously is relishing this role, and he captivates us.
As his wife, Peg, Fellows displays a fierceness that sometimes deflates into despair as she tries to convince Gunner to try assisted living and move away from their cottage on Chesapeake Bay. Hers is the less-flamboyant role, but Fellows creates a grounded emotional presence. Norman’s character, Jack, provides a doorway to sources of family dysfunction, memories of his dad’s teasing, lying and bullying. But his father’s final gesture takes a very different turn. Norman is such a good listener on stage, such an uncluttered performer, that he’s a pleasure to watch. The teamwork here is palpable. Anyone with aging parents can identify with the problems posed in Graham’s work, but anyone can enjoy this story laced with laughter and punctuated with an unusual ending.
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