Posts Tagged love conquers all

At Its Core, A Love Story

The cast of Amy’s View in a rehearsal.
(Photo by Petronella J. Ytsma)

Amy’s View, currently on our Proscenium Stage until June 4, is sure to bring Park Square’s core audience to its happy place. It pairs two of the Twin Cities’ favorite actresses, Linda Kelsey and Tracey Maloney, in the leads as mother and daughter, respectively, in a regional premiere of a drama by playwright David Hare. A British play set in 1979 and spanning almost two decades, it hints at underlying social themes but is, at its core, a love story.

With daughter Amy’s premise that “love conquers all” running throughout the play, Amy’s View brought to my mind Erich Segal’s Love Story, which was both a film and novel. The book was released on Valentine’s Day in 1970, staying the top-selling fiction in the United States for the entire year. Jenny’s (its female lead) famous line, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry,” became a much debated catchphrase just as daughter Amy’s view will likely become for those who see the play.

Amy’s View features love in its numerous forms: romantic, platonic and, most specifically, familial. Each relationship is greatly tested, even stretching the limits of unconditional love to a questionable degree of self-sacrifice. You will leave asking, “Does love conquer all?”

Then you may also ask, “Who says so?” The writers of both Amy’s View and Love Story are male. “Love conquers all” may have first appeared as a Latin phrase–omnia vincit amor–in Eclogue X by the ancient Roman poet, Virgil.

Just as with “not having to say you’re sorry,” the notion of forgiveness–its necessity (or not) to move on becomes a central question in this play as well. How much can one endure before forgiveness comes off the table? What state of grace comes from keeping it on the table? Must it be earned or be unconditionally offered?

As I’d heard Cathleen Fuller, who plays Linda’s mother-in-law, recently say about Amy’s View, “It’s a powerful piece!” As such, the play lends itself to lively discussion, so consider making a night out on the town as a pair or group with a post-show dinner or drinks. But be careful! What you say may cement a relationship for life or make yourself ask: “Who did I marry?” or “Is she really my mother?”

May you sit long, talk much, and have a great time!

 

Linda Kelsey Speaks for Herself (and Esme)


Having grown up watching Linda Kelsey on television and, in recent years, on stage where she fully embodies the characters that she portrays, it was with pleasure to have the opportunity to meet Linda being herself. Here before me was the harried Linda, running late after a longer-than-expected meeting then having to fight traffic to get to Park Square on time. Here was the gracious Linda still game to answer a few questions right before stepping into a rehearsal for Amy’s View, which will run on Park Square’s Proscenium Stage from May 12 to June 4.

In Amy’s View, set between 1979 to 1995, Linda plays Esme Allen, a grande dame of the London stage and mother to Amy, who firmly holds the view that love conquers all. However, Amy’s unwavering devotion to the narcissistic Dominic drives a wedge between herself and Esme. Though Esme loves Amy unconditionally, she cannot understand her daughter’s willingness to sublimate her own life for Dominic, a man whose primary focus above all else is to further his own professional aspirations, first as a critic lacking respect for theatre (versus popular media) and ultimately as a film director. Meanwhile, Esme also grapples with her own relationship with Frank Oddie, her neighbor and financial handler who desperately wants to marry her.

Amy’s View has a lot to offer as a good, old-fashioned play about people, relationships and ideas,” Linda said. “It’s beautifully written and a joy to speak the lines. Esme is also an extremely interesting woman to play. She touches my heart; she’s such a vulnerable human being, and I appreciate that.”

When asked if she believes in Amy’s view that love conquers all, Linda caught me off guard by, in turn, asking, “Do you mean me as Linda or as Esme?”

While really thinking “Linda,” I seized the chance to find out more by saying, “Both!”

Linda replied, “I believe it’s true but also a glib thing to say because it’s hard to live that out.”

Would you agree after having watched Amy’s View? Come and find out!

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