A Perfect Ganesh (Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum 2023 Production) Theatre Review

production photo by Kevin Hudnell

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum continues to celebrate its fiftieth year with a production of Terrence McNally’s A Perfect Ganesh. While this company is perhaps best known for its Shakespeare productions, each season delivers at least one non-Shakespearean work. And Shakespeare fans, do not fear, for this play does contain a bit of Henry The Fifth. The main draw of this production, however, is being able to see two of the company’s most talented performers in a more intimate story with a small cast. Ellen Geer (who is directing this season’s Macbeth and Queen Margaret’s Version of Shakespeare’s War Of The Roses) and Melora Marshall (who gives an incredible performance as Margaret in Queen Margaret’s Version of Shakespeare’s War Of The Roses) are magnificent in their roles as Katharine and Margaret, two close friends who travel to India together, each looking for some kind of healing.

Though the text of the play calls for only four actors, productions sometimes add other parts, and this production begins with Shivani Thakkar as an apsara, a female spirit that entertains the gods through dance. And here it is the audience that is entertained by Shivani Thakkar’s graceful movements, as she performs with joy a wonderful solo dance, which combines spiritual and earthly elements, perfect for the story of two women who at times seem lost between those two realms. As her dance ends, she moves through the audience, naturally leading theatre patrons to turn their heads to follow her movement, and it is then that Ganesha (Mueen Jahan) enters behind and above the crowd. What a wonderful way of introducing this god, having the apsara lead the audience to him, and having him begin opposite the area where the mortals will engage in most of their action. There is also a delightful and playful aspect to this god. And then he soon moves down to join the mortals. For this god will play many roles in the play, functioning as a tourist guide for Katharine and Margaret, and for the audience as well. As the scene shifts to an airport, and he tells the audience to imagine it more bustling, this production introduces several people to help with our imaginations, or perhaps as products of our imaginations (played by Sam Brock, Jessica Libero Edwards, Craig “Line” Lincoln, Liza Rash and Anthony Soliz).

Rajiv Shah plays multiple roles as well, beginning with an employee of the airline that has to deal with a testy Margaret, who says she will not get on the plane if she doesn’t have an aisle seat (something I completely understand). Both Rajiv Shaw and Melora Marshall are hilarious in this scene. And when Ellen Geer enters as Katharine, her first line is “O for a muse of fire,” the first words the Chorus speaks at the beginning of Shakespeare’s Henry The Fifth. It is a line she will repeat several times throughout the play. And Ganesha at one point quotes Puck, “Lord, what fools these mortals be.” That is when Ganesha is seated on the wing of the plane. He is there joined by Walter, Katharine’s son, who was murdered by a group of gay-hating hoodlums. As funny as this play often is, there are several heartrending moments, such as when Katharine and Walter talk on the plane and she worries he’ll catch cold without a scarf. Katharine is not only trying to deal with an incredible loss, but with her own unspeakable guilt over the way she treated her son. This play was originally produced in 1993, when the AIDS epidemic was nearing its peak, and anti-gay violence was on the rise. Of course, today, sadly, anti-gay feelings are still prevalent among certain sections of the population, including members of Congress, one of several elements that make this play still pertinent. Walter plays a key part in the story, as Katharine tries to come to terms with her past, though first seeming to look outward rather than inward. And so she sees Walter in many of her interactions, especially in the young gay man she meets in India with whom she shares a passion for Shakespeare, and who joins her in reciting that opening speech from Henry The Fifth. That’s actually a beautiful and moving moment, one of many that could bring tears to your eyes.

As it turns out, Margaret has suffered a similar loss, though in silence. And she has something else she has been keeping from her friend. Both characters seek a healing, and in their search and in their need, they are both compelling and endearing. Who in the audience could fail to relate to these women? Whatever it is in our own individual pasts, it seems that we are all in need of some healing, and some self-forgiveness. And to avoid the pain of looking inward, we first try to find answers and solace by looking outward. As one of the many characters played by Ganesha asks at one point, Why India? Ganesha lists a few alternatives that are closer to home. But those of us in the audience dismiss those alternatives just as the character does. We know somehow that we must go some distance outward in order to fix what is broken inside. The main destination is, of course, the Taj Mahal, which does transform them. But by then, they are clearly ready. And though they’ve referred to themselves as best friends all along, it is then that their friendship really deepens and strengthens. And the special use of lighting in that moment seems to include the entire audience in the transformation as well. Perhaps the healing we need can be found in the theatre itself. We share Katharine’s enthusiasm when she says she is in paradise and calls it a dream.

This production of A Perfect Ganesh was directed by Mary Jo DuPrey. It runs through October 7, 2023, being performed in repertory with Macbeth, Queen Margaret’s Version Of Shakespeare’s War Of The Roses and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is one intermission. Visit the theatre’s web site for the complete schedule. Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., in Topanga, California.