2002-2003 Season > Oleanna

For the second offering of The Bay Theatre Company, we tackled Oleanna. This David Mamet play is a challenging play, not only in topic, but in language. We faced an additional challenge when we lost one of our two actors after the play had begun rehearsals. With seventeen days left before opening night, Jim Gallagher took the role of John and not only managed to learn the difficult piece, but performed the role at its fullest. We are very proud of this production and feel it demonstrated the range of material which we intend to perform for our audiences.

Reviews

"The troupe doesn't just walk through the drama. It triumphs, turning in a mesmerizing show... What Kirby and Gallagher accomplish is breathtaking. Both deliver nuanced portrayals that are devastating in their emotional authenticity, by turns restrained, bombastic and austere, all in appropriate measure to their characters' transformations and the unfolding drama of the plot. The polish in this performance offers high tribute to the insight, labor and talent of Kirby, Gallagher and director Merry-Browne. Together, they live up to founder Merry-Browne and Janet Luby's ideals, delivering a performance worthy of any of the regional theater companies in the Baltimore-Washington area."

—The Capital, February 19, 2003

"The play...thrives under the able direction of Lucinda Merry-Browne, artistic director of the Bay Theatre Company. With this offering, the fledgling ensemble makes a prodigious contribution to the local theatre scene."

—The Sun in Anne Arundel, February 27, 2003