With “Mary Jane,” Amy Herzog has written one of the most moving plays you will see on Broadway this season. Playing at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (W. 47th Stree), this Manhattan Theatre Club drama beautifully, tenderly, and powerfully reveals the trauma that women can endure when they have severely ill children.
Imagine if your child was unable to speak to you, unable to sit up, or had to be attached to medical equipment while in their stroller. Imagine needing nurses in your home to take care of your child and not being able to have a “normal daily existence” out in the world, at a job or anywhere else, because you are always tending to your children at home or in the hospital. That is the life that Mary Jane has known for two years with her son Alex.
Rachel McAdams is dynamic in this intense role. She handles this character’s pain with a sense of respect and dignity, and beautifully embodies a mother’s love for and dedication to her sick child. You also see that there is a community of families out there who try to help one another.
This play will touch you on many levels, through the sheer trauma that these women go through and their steadfastness when it comes to helping and advocating for their children. They see the beauty in their babies, but also admit to the toll they feel on their lives.
McAdams is part of a cast of five women who are versatile, distinct, and touching as they each play dual roles. April Matthis, as both Alex’s nurse Sherry and Dr. Toros, plays these characters with marvelous care, concern, and heart. Brenda Wehle is memorable as both Ruthie, the building super who has a great deal of empathy for Mary Jane, and Tenkei, a nun at the hospital who comforts Mary Jane while Alex is in surgery. Lily Santiago is engrossing as Amelia and Kat. Amelia is Sherry’s niece, a college student who is shy, sensitive, and caring. In the role of Kat, a music therapist, she is gentle and kind as she plays music to soothe Alex after a procedure.
Susan Pourfar is incredibly touching in her roles as Brianna and Chaya, both mothers of children who are experiencing severe illnesses. Brianna is new to this life and receives detailed tips from Mary Jane about how to get assistance and benefits for her son Seth. As Chaya, she is a mother of seven children, with one daughter who is severely ill and causes her to be in the hospital for months at a time.
Direction by Anne Kaufmann is superb. You will know you have experienced something that is, sadly, a reality for many parents. The set design by Lael Jellinek is fantastic and detailed. Costume design by Brenda Abbandandolo, lighting design by Ben Stanton, and sound design by Leah Gelpe add to the intensity of this truly stunning play.
“Mary Jane” is touching, moving, deep theater. For more info, visit www.manhattantheatreclub.com.