“Mrs. Parliament’s Night Out” – but is she coming back?

Yvonne Robertson as Teresa Parliament, and Scot Renfro as Chuck Parliament. Photo by Alex Madrid
Yvonne Robertson as Teresa Parliament, and Scot Renfro as Chuck Parliament. Photo by Alex Madrid

Yvonne Robertson as Teresa Parliament, and Scot Renfro as Chuck Parliament. Photo by Alex Madrid

Norm Foster’s “Mrs. Parliament’s Night Out” is a humorous spin on one woman’s midlife crisis, which kicks in when her husband forgets all about their 32nd wedding anniversary. Presumably he remembered, or at least acknowledged, the 31 that came before.

As presented by the Torrance Theatre Company and directed by local stage veteran Perry Shields, the play is front-loaded with standard broad humor not unlike a TV sitcom. But it’s also a comedy that poses questions and has serious undertones and implications.

The story opens with Teresa Parliament (Yvonne Robertson) shyly perusing sexy articles in a lingerie shop. After this she buys her husband a watch, and then heads over to the grocer’s to select items for a special dinner. She’s doing all this, of course, because it’s her anniversary and she wants to please Chuck, her husband (Scott Renfro). On the way home, Mrs. Parliament passes her neighbors, Carl and Ruby Lewicki (Bob Baumsten and Geraldine Fuentes), an older Jewish couple who have been together for ages. They sit outside on their porch. It’s a rather stereotypical portrayal; there’s not a great deal of range or subtlety in Foster’s characterizations – although Mr. Lewicki plays a vital role as the work unfolds.

Oblivious to the occasion and to any hint that it’s a special one, Chuck Parliament shows us that he’s a man who has long since settled into his routine, and this includes vast amounts of time watching television.

So there you are, that’s the catalyst. The grocer (Dan Adams) notes that Mrs. Parliament is upset, and after she unburdens herself he advises her to live a little, join a club, have an adventure, and so on (It’s hard to know if he’s speaking from experience or mouthing an ill-considered cliche). Robertson plays the role a bit like Jean Stapleson as Edith in “All in the Family” might have played it, that is, a bit naive, old fashioned, and easily shocked, but as Foster has written the part Mrs. Parliament has an underlying sense of determination. Listening to the grocer, she doesn’t need to be told twice, and she leaps into her new life with both feet.

Mrs. Parliament joins a camera club, as well as signing up for a painting class, a dancing class, a wine-tasting class, and archery lessons. Vignettes with each of these means that all of the other actors have to assume two or three incidental roles. Chuck Parliament wonders where she’s going at all hours, but he’s more puzzled than troubled by her sudden wealth of outside interests.

The couple’s daughter, Ginny (Joan Kubicek), lives some distance away and is pregnant with what I assume is her first child – or the Parliaments’ first grandchild. Ginny speaks frankly over the phone with each of her parents, which allows her to referee somewhat. Her presence, and her pregnancy, might also be saying something about empty nest syndrome and the fact that the Parliaments are no longer spring chickens, but Ginny seems largely peripheral to their domestic conflict and where it might be headed.

Sitting in on a narcotics anonymous meeting, for no other reason than that she was passing by, Teresa Parliament encounters Steve, who leads the group. He shows an interest in her right off the bat, and politely invites her for coffee and/or dessert. Well, going to classes is one thing, agreeing to a “date,” even if it’s just for pie and conversation, is something else. Plus it’s a hurdle – maybe even a Rubicon – that Mrs. Parliament is firmly reluctant to cross.

It’s better to stop here. Although Foster provides lots of laughs, he leads us down a path that brushes against deeper shades of morality. Can you spice up a long-time, dormant marriage? Should one consider starting over? Is there a happy medium, a place to compromise? Questions are posed, and left unanswered. For example, Mr. Parliament is soon to undergo his own life-changing moment, and then what? In fact, the ending is something of a cliffhanger and could easily engender a sequel, if it hasn’t already.

The cast gives solid, workmanlike performances, and although the scenic construction by Mark Wood is a model of efficiency, the stage itself is limited and it noticeably hampers some of the action. However, that shouldn’t prevent anyone from enjoying the show, and it certainly didn’t prevent this writer from having his own “night out,” and a highly satisfying one at that.

Mrs. Parliament’s Night Out is onstage through Sunday, Feb. 15, at the Torrance Theatre Company, 1316 Cabrillo Ave., in Old Torrance. Friday and Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets, $25. Coming soon: John Patrick’s The Curious Savage (March 14-April 19). Call (424) 243-6882 or go to torrancetheatrecompany.com. 

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