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Billy Carver and the Children in Mind
Review by Juliana Appenrodt
Diaphanous. The word is defined countless times throughout the play, yet somehow, at the end, we are still not sure exactly what it means. This is similar to the effect Montserrat Mendez’s Billy Carver and the Children in Mind has on us — but in a thought-provoking, fantastic way. The play’s story is left open-ended and unresolved, but everything that happens in between its opening and closing scenes, both of which involve cars landing in a swimming pool, is ridiculous, hilarious and extremely relevant at a time when the film industry is ruled by Harry Potter and the blood-sucking vampires of Twilight.
Joannie Roman Redd (Jenny D. Green), the play’s fictional London writer has created her own fang-toothed protagonist, and reviewers of her latest novel believe that, like Edward Cullen, the werewolf known as Billy Carver would make a great on-screen character. As Joannie decides whether to take her hairy, howling creation to the big screen or to kill him off in her next book, she brings her sister, assistant, boyfriend, ex-husband and a couple of actors hoping to star in her movies along for a dramatic, endlessly amusing ride.
Nearly half of the dramatics are provided by Priscilla Margot Saunders (Lauren Roth), and rightfully so — she did, after all, win a BAFTA award as a child actor (Saunders, that is, not Roth). Like her character, however, Roth is deserving of an award for her hysterical performance as the sell-out actress who, by the end of the play, has had an affair with both Joannie and her sister, and enough drinks for the entire cast. Green is also brilliant as the love-starved novelist who seems to be able to get herself out of any difficult situation with a little wordplay, which, as the script reveals, appears to be Mendez’s specialty as well.
But, as the playbill reads, “...life’s about more than wordplay...” and so is the production. Alongside Roth and Green, the other five cast members are perfect in their respective roles. It may have helped that Mendez wrote each of the characters specifically for the actors, but their undeniable comedic timing and chemistry with one another is a work of their own. And because the set is so intimate, it is almost as if we become part of Joannie’s “pack of wolves” — her entourage that watches all of the emotional ups and downs of being a writer play out in her apartment, her beloved typewriter acting as a centerpiece for it all.
The rush that went into Mendez’s desperate, three-day writing of the play can almost be felt in its performance, as some of the lines are delivered a bit too hastily, but the confusion that ensues is all part of the fun. Born only after Mendez was denied rights to direct both Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour and Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind (hence the title), Billy Carver and the Children in Mind is a unique and hilarious piece of serendipity.
Original Show Business Weekly listing
Billy Carver and the Children in Mind
nytheatre.com review
Martin Denton · July 6, 2010Montserrat Mendez wrote Billy Carver and The Children in Mind in three days. There's a back story that explains why: Mendez was set to direct a revival of Alan Ayckbourn's Woman in Mind when the rights were suddenly pulled. Armed with cast and crew and concept, he decided to write his own, slightly Ayckbournish comedy, with a title that alludes to the original project and a number of sly references to the playwright (many of them witty digs) peppered throughout the script.
Billy Carver's title also recalls something even more famous than an Alan Ayckbourn play (though I admit I didn't realize it until the play began). The protagonist of Mendez's play is a writer named Joannie Roman Redd, and she is the very wealthy, very successful author of a string of books about a boy named Billy Carver and his many exciting adventures. (Billy Carver = Harry Potter, in case I'm being too subtle.) Billy is a werewolf, it seems; and there's a lot of wolf imagery in the play, which revolves around Joannie and the "pack" surrounding her, a colorful bunch that includes:
- May, her sister, who lives in Joannie's shadow and perhaps likes doing so too much
- Tristan, Joannie's effete personal assistant
- William, Joannie's ex-husband, also a writer
- Christopher, Joannie's fiance, the best midfielder in England
- Priscilla Margot Saunders, a former child movie star now floundering in stage work; an old chum of Joannie's
- Rick, a young man who sneaks into Joannie's house who is somewhat obsessed with the Billy Carver books
Mendez's first act, which reminded me of a Kaufman & Hart screwball comedy more than of an Ayckbourn comedy of manners, introduces us to all of these intriguing people and sets up oodles of situations and relationships amongst them. Joannie, reeling from a bad review, is thinking of killing Billy Carver off in her next book. William wants to write the screenplay for a planned film version of Billy Carver (he has a first draft with him, as a matter of fact, even though Joannie isn't sure at first that she wants to have the film made). Tristan reports that he saw Christopher at a pub last night with his (Christopher's) ex-wife. May wants a man. Priscilla wants to play Virginia Woolf in the Billy Carver film (I'll leave it you to discover how the famous novelist found her way into the Billy Carver books). Priscilla dredges up a naughty secret from her past involving Joannie. Joannie isn't sure if she should marry Christopher, or get back together with William. Rick, an actor, wants to play Billy Carver in the movies. And he has a wild plan to try to make that happen, one that results in a wild first act curtain that leaves one unable to contemplate for a moment not hurrying back to find out how the playwright plans to tie up all of these loose ends.
To his great credit, Mendez does tie them together; the second act is more introspective than the first, and consequently more reminiscent of the ambiguously melancholic conclusion of a play like, well, Woman in Mind. Nonetheless, the play throughout is very funny, its humor rooted in situation, character, and wordplay in equal parts.
The production is probably the most lavish and beautifully realized I've yet seen at Manhattan Theatre Source, whose intimate space can be problematic for some directors and designers. Mendez serves in both capacities here, and the results are stunning: he creates a beautifully appointed English townhouse that feels authentic and lush, brimming with delightful details such as a pattern on the floor tiling that matches the paneling on the bar. Jenny Green's costumes are also lovely: Priscilla wears a succession of over-the-top outfits that remind us of Absolutely Fabulous, while May spends the first act in perfectly coordinated dress and sandals. These elements along with the play's overall literary theme and style make Billy Carver feel like a rare visitor from a long-gone theatrical era; yet it's a brand-new piece, written almost literally overnight, which is why Montserrat Mendez is a young theatre artist to keep a particular eye on.
The cast of seven is exemplary, too, especially Lauren Roth, who has the showiest role of spoiled movie star Priscilla Saunders: she's perfect as the monstre sacre, whether tottering on her high heels unsteadily after too many cocktails or seducing one or another of the guests in Joannie's house. Stuart Williams as Tristan gets some fun moments in the second act, revealing a lifelong dream that I certainly didn't see coming. Aimee Whelan and Jenny D. Green are fine as May and Joannie, while Nathan Willis and Armistead Johnson are both convincing as Joannie's suitors, William and Christopher, respectively. Monroe Robertson rounds out the ensemble as Rick, the one role that feels underwritten; he's charming nevertheless.
Billy Carver and The Children in Mind is a glimmer of wit and glamour in a season that's usually populated by outdoor Shakespeare and stripped-down theatre festivals. I had a great time seeing it.
Original NYTheatre show listing
On Tuesday, July 6, I saw the very first performance of “Billy Carver and The Children In Mind” at Manhattan’s Theatre Source, written and directed by MontSerrat Mendez, the award-winning writer of “Thoroughly Stupid Things.” This British comedy tells the story of Joannie Roman Redd, a successful writer of the “Billy Carver” series who thinks of giving up her career after the reviews of her latest book suggest she put her stories on the big screen. The farce that ensues from there is one that makes you laugh, while wondering what will happen next. Written in three days and with only three weeks of rehearsal, the whole cast of “Billy Carver” should be applauded big time for their hard work, dedication, and effortless chemistry displayed on stage. Some of the best moments, for me, come from Stuart Williams who plays “Joannie’s” assistant “Tristan,” Lauren Roth as Hollywood starlet “Priscilla Margot Saunders,” and of course Jenny D. Green who stars as “Joannie Roman Redd.” Each one of them commands the stage when on it. Stuart’s facial expressions and body language captivated me as I couldn’t wait to see what look or move he would do next to end his dialogue. Lauren’s spot on comedic timing and inflection added much comic relief to the show and constantly reminded me of why there is such love for her character. Jenny engulfed the part of “Joannie,” perfectly portraying the writer who is dedicated to her craft of language and literature, the conflicted woman who is torn between two lovers, and the business woman who is not sure what route to go.
If you are looking for a show that is packed with dedication, talent, and love, then I suggest you go see “Billy Carver and The Children in Mind” at Manhattan Theatre Source (177 MacDougal Street, NYC), but you should hurry because this limited run ends July 24! Showtimes are Wednesdays-Saturdays at 8pm and Saturdays at 2pm. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased by clicking here!