A Maytag dryer stands prominently on Jack Key’s back porch as his new neighbor, Lizzy Nash, walks purposefully across their yards with a welcoming pie in hand. She laments the absence of a Welcome Wagon in her small Alabama town as she bombards her neighbor with unsolicited advice and questions he has no time to answer.
Finally, she pauses, and a stunned Key remarks, “You say it all out loud, don’t you?”
Thus opens “Maytag Virgin,” a captivating two-act play by Alabama native Audrey Cephaly that emerged from a 10-minute monologue and is now the current production at Merrimack Repertory Theatre.
Both Lizzy Nash, played by Kati Brazda, and Jack Key, played by David Adkins, are recently widowed. They are adjusting differently to their new status. Nash feels branded as a widow in town, while Key has moved from Biloxi, Miss., to put the pain of his wife’s death behind him.
Lizzy includes in her opening barrage a story of the tragic deaths of the couple who previously lived in Jack’s house. She hints at ghostly hauntings with sufficient conviction that he begins sleeping on the porch.
She finds the presence of his Maytag irritating and tries to get him to move it. Meanwhile, her frequent trips to her clothesline mark the passing of time and seasons. As a Baptist, she also finds the presence of a statue of the Virgin Mary on Jack’s porch puzzling. He is a Catholic.
While Lizzy talks a great deal, it becomes apparent that she also has been hiding a great deal as her inevitable relationship with Jack develops, seemingly against her will.
The story, as it unfolds, explores themes of loss and love. The chemistry between the two actors seems genuine, and love, of course, wins in the end — to Lizzy’s surprise, but not Jack’s. For him, it was love at first sight. She put barriers, including the Maytag, in the way.
Their backyard dialogue is, at turns, funny and flirtatious, often reminiscent of teenagers teasing each other with supposed indifference, and then tempestuous and hurtful.
The play’s dialogue is crisply delivered, and southern accents assure its charm. Audiences will find it a delightful break from a New England winter, however mild this current January has been.
“Maytag Virgin” runs through Feb. 2, so make it an early Valentine’s Day gift to a loved one.
Tickets for “Maytag Virgin” are available at mrt.org.
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January 26, 2020 at 03:35AM
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‘Maytag Virgin’ a captivating love story at Merrimack Rep - Lowell Sun
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