Tin Woman - 100 Percent Human Theatre

A new-to-me play by an author I hadn't heard of, but directed by a college classmate who consistently does good work? That is what I walked in with when I made my way to the Mounds Theatre to see Tin Woman. I had no idea what the show was about beyond organ donation. I also knew that this is an important subject for Joy Donley (you can read why in the director's note in the program), and I was curious and excited to see something new.

As expected, the story is about a woman, also named Joy (played by Elizabeth Efteland), who receives a heart transplant....like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz. The play, written by Sean Grennan, doesn't go into why she needed one but we discover that she was ready to pass away. She had dealt with the fact that she was going to die, and now suddenly is dealing with a total change - a new heart, and a new chance at life. At the same time we also see the family of the donor, and how they are dealing with their loss. Joy is presented information when she checks out of the hospital in case she wants to write a note to the family of the donor. Though her co-worker, and possible best friend Darla (Greta Grosch), initially tells her not to do it, to not get involved...well, I don't want to give away too much of the story.

It is a heart-rending, and heartwarming story about how people deal with loss, and the sudden changes that life presents.While the subject is serious, and there are some sad moving moments, the script and direction handle it with humor and a light touch. The characters Joy, Darla, Jack (Matthew Berdahl), Hank (Doug Thompson), Alice (Dorian Chalmers), and Sammy (Stephanie Wipf) all feel real, and fully rounded characters. Even Sammy, who brings a lot of quirk to the story, comes across as a three-dimensional character. While the end came off as maudlin to me, after reflection I saw the purpose in it and felt it was a strong choice in direction. The show is wonderfully directed and it has a great cast. Big emotions can be played too big, but I felt the tone throughout was even - leaving space for the big moments, but not overwhelming the audience or cast. 

This small cast of six was perfectly selected. Kudos especially to a role that is pivotal, but has very few lines. Near silent roles, especially when the performer is on stage nearly the entire show, can be incredibly difficult because the actor has to be involved and actively watching the business as hand, while also just being a presence. To see that same performer get emotionally involved, to the point of tears, was just amazing. 

While the subject matter may be tough to handle, it is a well-written work, deftly directed, with an incredible cast. All the design work fully support what is happening on stage, and the music choices were spot-on. If you have a chance, go see this show. If you go tonight (Friday) stick around for a free live Trivia game. If you attend tomorrow (Sat), stick around post-show for a Q&A with LifeSource.