Chester Theatre Company in Chester
Written by Tatty Hennessy, directed by Michelle Ong-Hendrick
“I want to stand in the garden, just, breathe a bit…”
In Tatty Hennessy’s play “A Hundred Words for Snow,” a 15-year-old girl named Rory sets off on a mission that was her father’s deepest desire: an expedition to stand at the North Pole. Rory has discovered the true fact that there are five north poles, and with her dad’s ashes in a silver canister, she runs away from home to make his dream a reality. Played by actress Hero Marguerite, Rory is a wonder. She speaks with what I believe to be a Midlands accent that overwhelms some of the words in Hennessy’s play; however, the deeper meanings of the monologue are never lost in that troublesome accent. Marguerite and her director, or mother, Michelle Ong-Hendrick, have created an entertainment that is intriguing and elastic, the actress providing the physicality of a youthful dream within the sensibility of an aging woman.
Rory’s adventure takes her through the sorts of incidents that would limit an adult but don’t interfere with the resolves of youth. As a mono-drama, she gets to show us the people she meets as she tells her very compelling story. This is a most unusual character, a girl who carries out a mission she has lived with her whole life (she is 15) and which is not even her own but that of a beloved parent.
The theme of this work is girls and their fathers, that special relationship that exists when one inspires the other and the other encourages his inspiration. Loss, personal loss, is the mostly invigorating spirit and motivation in this work, and by the end of it, when reconciliation overtakes the piece, it is a relief, an unexpected relief. Marguerite’s Rory (short for the hated “Aurora”) hugs her mother, and though she is alone on stage, we can see the girl and her mom in this embrace. Her acting gives us the fuller image without even trying. She is that good at what she does on stage.
Some of that may actually come from Michelle Ong-Hendrick, the director of the play. As an actress herself, she clearly knows how to open personal imagery on the stage, and her work in this play is exemplary. She has Marguerite move set pieces, change the practical settings, change costumes, and with insane speed tell and perform Rory’s story. There is never even a pause in the proceedings. Hero Marguerite is a relentless performer under Ong-Hendrick’s direction, and this keeps the play alive and vital. Whether barefoot or boot-shod, Rory is held captive within her story. The two women have given Dad a voice, though he never speaks. It is, after all, his mission that his child pursues with so much vigor and strength.
Jeremy Winchester has created a performance setting that allows the actress to create, for us, the open spaces she speaks of, even if they don’t look like the places themselves; they are as representative as the girl’s own story. Margo Cadell’s lighting allows us to see Rory’s dreams and visions as well as the places she visits. The costume designed by Stefanos Zogopoulos is versatile enough to make the journey a complete success, the frigid world of northern Norway high on my list of production delights. Raphael Hendrick-Baker (another relative, I suppose?) has created sound and music that underscores moments very well.
For their second production as Chester Theatre’s co-artistic directors, Michelle Ong-Hendrick and Christopher Baker have given their audience a remarkable adventure to witness. If they can maintain this record through the season, they will be the most welcome folks in the Berkshire theater region.
“A Hundred Words for Snow” plays at Chester Theatre Company’s Town Hall Stage through July 13. For information and tickets, visit Chester Theatre’s website or call (413) 354-7771.
