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Two
Birds Find Eerie Comfort in
the Hand of Mr. Banks
by
Amy Lyons
You know
that creepy guy at the
office with the ill-fitting
pants, erratic conversation
style and icky talent for
ogling? The one you sort of
think works part-time as an
axe murderer?
Playwright Keith Huff has
put that guy at the center
of his play, “The Bird and
Mr. Banks,” a dark
tragicomedy where murder,
love and compassion all
intermingle.
Seymour
Banks (an inexhaustible Sam
Anderson) spends his days
crunching numbers as a CPA
at a mid-sized collection
agency. Though Banks is
clearly a brilliant guy – he
earned the highest score
ever recorded on the CPA
exam – he has settled for
much less than he’s worth,
whiling away his talents at
a job that can’t possibly
stimulate his superior mind.
Secretary Annie
O’Shaughnessy (a lovely
Jenny Kern) likewise finds
ways of wasting her talent,
mainly via an inter-office
affair with the overtly
sleazy Hartsfield (Chet
Grissom), an upper
management type whose
smarminess is written all
over his falsely mustachioed
face. When Hartsfield ill
treats Annie for the
umpteenth time (no spoiler
here), her already slightly
loose ends start to unravel
in a near-fatal way
culminating in a breakdown
that necessitates an
intervention by Banks.
Thus, an
unlikely duo emerges, the
middle-aged, socially
awkward guy from accounting
and the young, fragile phone
girl seeking shelter from
her stormy love life.
As Banks
tends to Annie’s needs, he
also cares for a baby bird,
hoping beyond hope that this
delicate charge will one day
fly as a result of his
tender affections. Oh, and
by the way, Huff is here to
tell you that your
suspicions about that guy in
the office are spot on –
he’s dangerous. Banks will
do anything to protect his
exceedingly private life and
to shelter from the cruel
world his girl and his bird.
He’s not above bumping off
interlopers.
The play
is a thoughtful thesis on
the criminal mind and a nice
portrayal of the capacity
for good and evil that dwell
in the hearts of men. As
Banks becomes more and more
prone to murder, he also
becomes a more apt caretaker
of Annie, the office bird,
and peep, the actual bird.
It’s all very touching and
sad with plot points brought
to glorious life by Anderson
in particular. As
co-artistic director of The
Road Theatre – where the
play is being staged –
Anderson has his hands full.
The role of Banks calls for
violent moods swings and
maniacal moments that he
handles with great care.
Director
Mark St. Amant pulls the
whole twisted tale together
with an eye for the surreal
comedy of the outlandish
killing spree and a sense of
compassion for the unhinged
but not uncaring Banks.
Desma Murphy’s set
skillfully suggests a
parallel between the human
world and the world of
birds.
The Road
Theatre, through March 21,
call (866)811-4111.
 Amy Lyons
is a professional freelance journalist, theatre critic and playwright, with a degree in Theatre Arts and English from UMass, Boston. Her articles, theatre reviews and photos regularly appear in numerous publications, including Beverly Press, Valley Life Magazine and The Record Collector News. Amy also serves as a script reader for Reliant Pictures. She can be reached at amykly@yahoo.com. |
