Review by Neal Newman
April 8, 2024
HURRICANE DIANE by Madeleine George is a feminist comedy about climate change and permaculture. If that sounds like a mouthful, it is aided tremendously by the playwright’s wit and skill and a vividly acted and designed production at People’s Light in Malvern. Director Molly Rosa Houlahan has pulled off a miracle that brought me back decades to the wonders of Charles Ludlam’s Ridiculous Theater Company in Sheridan Square.
Here’s the premise. Dionysus, the male god of wine, ecstasy, and theater, is upset with humanity (special thanks to Euripides) and decides to return to Earth and convince a few disciples that planting ecologic gardens will create a new flowering of the land and lead to a great Bacchanalian frenzy of joy. He loves ecologically robust plants like the pawpaw tree and hates lawns that feature green grass, wrought iron benches, and “curb appeal.” He disguises himself as a lesbian gardener named Diane and heads to a suburban cul-de-sac in New Jersey to gather acolytes. She’ll bring a hurricane to the Earth.
The chrome-marble clean setting by Grisele Gonzalez is the perfect suburban kitchen. It serves as the meeting place of all four households since each of the houses has the same floor plan. The ladies living here, (the husbands are always elsewhere), are upper class housewives of New Jersey.
Shauna Miles plays Renee, a woman of color who works for a gardening magazine. She loves the garden that Diane (Rami Margron) create but is frustrated that the neighbors consider it a trash heap on 95 in Secaucus, and the magazine refuses all permaculture articles. Miles grounds the craziness with a profound calm. Pam (Suli Holum) is an over-dressed, pure New Jersey housewife who tries to act like Katherine Hepburn. She hates Renee’s Garden and wants something resembling an Italian Palazzo. Holum sparks the wackiness. Julianna Zinkel is touching, as Beth is the most vulnerable character. He husband has left her, and her lawn hasn’t been mowed for months. She seems to be an easy target for Diane.
The zaniest is Carol (Teri Lamm), who, surprisingly, has a JOB working “in complience” for a corrupt drug company. She is the paragon of selfishness, and her hysterical breakdown speech is a testament to comedy. I remember Zinkel and Lamm giving suburb performances in THE VINEGER TREE, a very different type of comedy. They are treasures to our area. Rami Margron’s Diane ties it all together with a skillfully controlled performance, which, the audience hopes, will lead to that Bacchanalian frenzy. Bravo, Madeleine George, who writes roles that actors will covet for a hilarious evening with a powerful theme.
Any play titled HURRICANE had better produce one. After all, our weather is getting stormier. This one is a doozy thanks to Gozalez’s set, the inventive costumes of Camilla Dely, and the flash-bang lighting and sound design of Ebony M. Burton and Caroline Eng. Add to this the exceptional skill of director Houlahan, and you’ll notice that the entire team is women.
HURRICANE DIANE is a very unusual and unique event. All theater lovers are urged to attend.
Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission.
HURRICANE DIANE runs through May 19 at People’s Light at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA. Tickets can be obtained at peopleslight.org or by calling 610-644-3500.