Midnight in the garden of suburbia

“Everything in the Garden” by Edward Albee (“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”) is a dark… “Everything in the Garden” by Edward Albee (“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”) is a dark comedy about suburbia. Set in the 1960s, the play explores the lengths people will go to get what they want and keep what they have.

The play is set in the modest living room and flourishing garden of Jenny (Diane Mazeppa), a typical suburban housewife, and her husband Richard (Devin Malcolm), a research chemist. As the play opens, the audience is quickly drawn into their relationship as Jenny berates Richard for not saving coupons from the cigarette packs, especially since they only smoke the cigarettes to get the coupons.

Money is tight in their household, as they struggle to maintain appearances and keep up with the lavish lifestyles of their friends, who are buying second cars and drinking expensive liquor. Meanwhile, Richard wants an electric mower and Jenny longs for a greenhouse, priding herself on her well-tended garden and green thumb.

Mazeppa and Malcolm work extremely well together. They easily transition from heated discussion to playful bantering with a nice blend of wit and humor. One moment Richard is adamantly refusing to allow Jenny to work part time and the next he’s a Transylvanian vampire trying to get a kiss. They are painfully reminded of being poor, or “not having money” as Jenny corrects, with the arrival of their friend Jack (Benjamin Blazer), a millionaire with a smooth charm and a flame for Jenny. Blazer gives an excellent performance, combining just the right amount of nonchalance and playboy wit. Commentating on the lives of Jenny and Richard, he often speaks directly to the audience, pulling us even deeper into their world.

When Richard runs out to buy some liquor, slightly reluctant to leave Jenny with Jack, they receive a visit from a stranger, a woman named Mrs. Tooth. As Jack takes his leave, Mrs. Tooth, a British businesswoman, explains that she has come to offer Jenny a job. Giving her an advance salary of $1,000, Jenny wonders what kind of employment she could be offering. When she realizes exactly how she’d be pleasing the clientele, she throws Mrs. Tooth out of her house and rips up her card. Unable to throw the money away, Jenny is seduced by the idea of financial security, suggesting to Richard that they go out for an expensive dinner. After using some of the thousand dollars, Jenny carefully retrieves Mrs. Tooth’s card from the garbage can. The play continues as the impact of Jenny’s decision affects her life and marriage.

Diana Mazeppa is superb in the role of Jenny. Strong characterization allows Mazeppa to take her character from youthful excitement over the possibility of a greenhouse and a garden party to a frightening coldness as she justifies her actions and decisions. Malcolm’s portrayal of Richard is emotionally charged. With black framed glasses and a checkered shirt, he gives the appearance of a mild-mannered geek, but when pushed he explodes with surprising emotional intensity. But while they contrast each other nicely, Jenny’s calmness in the face of Richard’s anger at times brings down the emotional intensity rather than heightening it. Particularly anti-climactic is Richard’s striking of Jenny.

Director Jeffery M. Cordell does a nice job of bringing the dark humor of Albee’s script to life. The lighting design, by Michael Homchosky, nicely accents the performance. Also notable is the ensemble performance given by Jenny and Richard’s country club friends. They successfully created an elitist community that smiled to your face and gossiped behind your back.

“When gardens are let go, you know there’s something wrong in the house,” Jenny tells Richard. But this production illustrates that the most beautiful and delicate flowers may have rotting roots.