The University of Missouri Theatre brings life into the old play by the late Lanford Wilson at Rhynsburger Theatre.
Fifth of July revolves around the Talley family and reveals itself to be a reflection of the impact of the Vietnam War on this small town family. This is most obviously reflected in Kenneth Talley (Joshua Johnson), a gay paraplegic veteran. Before the war, he seemed to be a passionate school teacher. Afterward, he's having trouble going back to the school due to his condition.
Talley and Jed Jenkins (Jarrod Beck), his lover, are both gay, but it's a peripheral part of the play. It's a relatively inconsequential aspect of the play except for its uniqueness. They are treated in Wilson's script as any other heterosexual couple has been treated in pop culture works of art. This is not a surprise for people familiar with Wilson's history. He was openly homosexual and it was a major theme in most of his plays.
The strength of the play without a doubt is in its ability to depict 1970s Missouri. This is mostly due to the costume design of Kerri S. Packard. Her costumes are fun and most importantly era-appropriate. The men of the play get the most inspired costumes, whether by choice or accident. They wore the typical hairy-chested, open-shirted button-down shirts with short shorts. John Landis (Scott McDonald) gets the best costumes with his lookalike Miami Vice suit and big sunglasses and slicked back hair. Then there's the almost obligatory hippie character in Weston Hurley (Jeffrey Simpson), who lives up the stereotypical look with his long hair and excess of facial hair. Jenkins mostly gives the specific "hick" Missouri look with his worn-down shirt and blue overalls.
With such a dialogue-driven play, it's hard to overstate the importance of the performances of the actors. Johnson as Kenneth Talley gave a sneaky, understated performance who nonetheless is able to connect with the audience thanks to an emotional scene. (Tears were shed) Rachel Bauer, as Sally Friedman, probably gives the best performance of the cast who somehow convinces as a much older woman. McDonald also hits the right notes as the smug, overconfident businessman. It may have not been difficult for Simpson to play the dumb, perpetually stoned hippie, but he really has a great sense of comedic timing generating laughs with nearly every line. Lastly, Blair Ussary probably should have toned it down a bit as she really hams up her performance as the smarter than her age teenage girl.
It may not seem like an important aspect, but the direction and staging of the play is vital to maintaining the audience's interest. Nobody wants to watch two hours of people just sitting and talking. Thankfully, David Crespy helps keep the action going by having the characters constantly moving. Despite the constant movement, the staging felt natural and yet never interfered with the audience's ability to see the characters.
Scenic Designer Brad M. Carlson helps bring about the Missouri aspect of the play. The walls are an off-color yellow and everything seems a bit more colorful. It's not immediately obvious what period the play is set in from the scenic design by itself, but it definitely gives the sense that its set in Missouri, an aspect that was lacking in the costume design. The sets compliment the costumes and neither would truly achieve its purpose without the other.
The lighting design by R. Dean Packard had a two-fold effect. It helped contribute to the 70s aspect of the play by having an almost airy atmosphere. It also had a pretty clever way to show the characters were outside by having one portion of the side significantly brighter than the other portions of the stage.
A script penned by a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, great production, and good performances led to an enjoyable experience despite running perhaps a little long.
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