Revival of Pulitzer-winning play comes up “Roses” at PPT

The Subject Was Roses

Starring Joe Delafield, Ross Bickell and Carole…

The Subject Was Roses

Starring Joe Delafield, Ross Bickell and Carole Monferdini

Directed by Rob Ruggiero

Pittsburgh Public Theatre

(412) 316-1600

Through February 22

Remember the first time you returned home after being away at school for a few months? Everyone was making such a big fuss over the adult you’d become. Mom was anxious to cook your favorite meal and Dad was ready to hear all about campus life. Now just imagine that, instead of being away for a few months at school, you were gone for three years at war.

In “The Subject Was Roses,” Timmy Cleary returns home from World War II to parents who fawn, if not fight, over him. They’re both so happy to have him back, but for all the wrong reasons. Timmy’s father is looking for a trophy son to tote around and show off to the community. His admiration borders on jealousy as he sees in his son the young man he used to be. Timmy’s mother is still trying to hold on to the boy who left three years ago. She’s not prepared for the 21-year-old, beer-chugging man who returns. Both parents are glad to have him back because it removes the spotlight from their own rocky, fight-filled marriage.

Frank Gilroy’s script is funny and touching in the first half but takes a more serious tone as the play goes on. At times, the more serious side of the play creeps along slowly. But Gilroy is able to keep the script flowing by toying with his audience’s emotions. He quickly interrupts comedic moments with unexpected harsh comments. When Timmy jokes about how he’s grown out of his old clothes, his father coldly replies, “Maybe you haven’t grown as much as you think.”

The stage is an impressive recreation of a small 1940s New York apartment. Mismatched furniture and assorted lamps create a homey living room replete with old copies of Life magazine next to the recliner. But the script and set would be nothing without talented actors to bring the play to life.

Ross Bickell and Carole Monferdini both shine as the parents. Bickell shouts with such rage that his face is an unhealthy shade of red by the play’s end. Monferdini plays the overly concerned mother role with quiet simplicity. But it is Joe Delafield’s role of Timmy that deserves the praise. His youthful charm and drunken gibberish are humorous, yet meaningful. He and Monferdini play warmly off of each other in a realistic portrayal of mother and son.

“The Subject Was Roses” combines great acting with an intelligent script and brings a pertinent and touching subject to the Pittsburgh Public Theatre. ut the reflection of a second man’s serene expression in a mirror that faces the viewer adds something comical to the piece that pins it down as an expression of wild, youth culture — one guy showing off for his buddy.

Gersch’s oversized surfaces are bright and smooth. The exaggerated tones are applied in distinct contours and splotches that undetectably blend at the edges. Gersch’s work is Chuck Close without the glaring realism.

The Brew House Space 101, located in the old Duquesne Brewery building on the South Side, is a non-profit exhibition space dedicated to the exposure of underrepresented artists in all media. Space 101 events are free and open to the public.