Careers, Courtship, and Surrealism

The Best of Everything at ACT

The first job out of college is often exciting on the first day – full of hopes, dreams, and a vision of how you can make a difference. That was the experience for Caroline (Kimberly Allely), an ambitious secretary at Fabian Publishing who dreams of being an editor and changing the literary landscape of America in 1952. Settling in, buxom and talkative Mary Agnes (Emily Pratt) sets her straight on office politics, and newly engaged Brenda (Jacqueline Hoffrman) explains that most girls really only come here to catch a man to marry. She won’t let her dreams die though, not even in the face of Miss Farrow (Amanda Cantrell), her elegant and overly-exacting editor and her demeaning commentary.

Based on a 1958 novel by Rona Jaffe, Julie Kramer’s The Best of Everything is a crash-course in the perils of personal and professional life for women in the 1950s. “The novel is somewhat dated,” admits director Krista Schwarting, “but the play feels very contemporary despite the 1950s setting – we're still talking about work/relationship balance, pay and advancement equity and sexual harassment.” The play delivers on not just those points, but passionate connections between friends, frank talks about sexuality and dating, and shows the dogged development of the lead character from ingénue to fully formed woman.

That is, of course, if you can wrap your head around the surreal segments. Fifteen or so minutes into the show, the play takes a sudden and unexpected stylistic turn from the realism of the workplace that has been so excellently depicted. In the office late, Caroline (Allely) watches as April (Grace Schwedler) comes out of Mr. Shalimar’s (R. Scott Cantrell) office buttoning up her shirt. After he leaves, slapping Schwedler’s ass as he goes, they turn to see Gregg (Andrea Staats) enter. Lights dim to a spotlight as she tells her story with high dramatic flair, Staats shining in the exuberance of reenacting her recent love affair with David… also played by R. Scott Cantrell. In fact, Cantrell plays every single man in the show using various jackets and props – a rolling punchline that elicits laughs and points out that men are the backdrop, not the point, of this story.

Few plays tackle sexual and romantic relationships in a diverse way, usually seeing only snapshots of the lead character on her journey. The Best of Everything excels at delivering glimpses from every direction. From Hoffrman’s exuberant lingerie discussions with the ladies to Pratt’s sexual uncertainty, it shows that the shy office person can be the boldest, and that the glamorous gossip girl can be the least prepared. When two of the ladies have deeply layered discussions on the realities of abortion in the 50s, it’s impossible not to feel the angst of the situation and the depth of their support for one another. The play is a great reminder than phone sex is something that has existed as long as there have been telephones, and that the uncomfortable first elevator ride together after a hookup is not a new phenomenon. The cast does an impressive job of delivering these topics with an appropriate mix of silliness and solemnity.

In life we rarely get a chance to step back and see the steps and choices that shaped who we are. This is one of the deepest joys in the show watching Allely’s character evolve. Her unconscious infatuation snapping into sharp focus when she actively chooses to take a lover. The blundering over herself to read a book from the editor to taking up her own space in the office. How she fights against sexual assault to her responses to the news of a friend’s death. Allely as an actress is impressive, not just on her own, but because she offers herself as a screen upon which others can project their roles as well. Schwedler especially shines in her work opposite Allely.

Unfortunately, the surrealism distracts from the excellent acting. The acid-trip of a dance number involving cardboard cutouts steals away from the excellent office banter about men. The beautifully choreographed performance of the reunited lovers reduces the gravitas of their situation expressed moments before. “It's been a challenge to weave all these different elements together,” says Schwarting, “and I'm especially appreciative of the work of our sound and light designers, Dave Block and Alex Beaudreault, who helped me shape the world of the show.”

Even with the strangeness, the show is wonderful. The costume design is excellent, the heartbreak is palpable, and the sexism is portrayed in an approachable way. “There are places I always laugh and places where I always get a lump in my throat,” says Schwarting, “and I've seen it enough that I should be immune to it by now.” Looking around the audience, almost everyone found something to laugh at, or have their own lump in the throat – you likely will as well.

The Best of Everything runs through April 9th at Anchorage Community Theatre. Tickets are $17 for adults, $15 for military, students and seniors, and $13 for children, and available at through actalaska.org