Review of Marin Theatre Company’s, ‘Mother of the Maid’, by Jane Anderson, directed by Jasson Minadakis

Wow, ANOTHER riveting, and powerful play from the Marin Theatre Company. The second offering of this season, ‘Mother of the Maid’, portrays the story of Joan of Arc, Maid of Orléans from the fresh perspective of her mother. Emmy award winning playwright and screenwriter Jane Anderson, also known for the movie ‘The Wife’, and the teleplay ‘Olive Kitteridge’, among many others, recognized the relevance of the mother’s viewpoint in this 590 year old story of feminine resolve and showed us that Joan’s determination didn’t come out of nowhere. Behind every great woman, stands, well…a great woman! The play explores the universal theme of the mother-child relationship, and embraces the inevitable obstacles of raising wayward teens, in particular an oppositional daughter, with very specific and controversial ideas about the path she wants to take in life. As the mother of two teens myself, I absolutely loved and related to this play, and recommend it without hesitation.

Jane Anderson who is Bay Area born and raised, wrote ‘Mother of the Maid’ as a love letter to her own mother and also her son, and as such it incorporates a mature, compassionate and multi angled view of motherhood. Captivated by the story of Joan of Arc since the age of seven, Jane Anderson saw Joan as a trailblazer for unconventional self realization; and as a woman whose legendary story helped inspire her own career as a gay female writer in Hollywood. Being based at least part time in Marin, Jane was able to collaborate with the Marin Theater Company on this production, and sat in on the first five days of rehearsals, so her input in this production was very hands on.

The title role, Isabelle Arc, Joan’s mother, was played superbly by the perfectly cast Sherman Fracher, who brought her own experience of motherhood to bear on the role. She herself took a ten year acting break, in order to raise her own daughter on her farm in Kentucky. She was cast, on the spot, in a Skype audition by the playwright herself. Isabelle Arc was first played in New York by Glenn Close, so there were big shoes to fill, although Jane Anderson has said she admires the authentic earthiness that Sherman Fracher brings to the role, which she derived from her experience as a farmer.

Isabelle Arc was a humble peasant living in 15th century rural North East France, at a time when the 100 year war had been raging for 92 years, and the English were close to succeeding in their long fight to gain control of her country. The French armies were crumbling, when Isabelle’s teen daughter, Joan, started having visions of St Catherine, who gave her very specific instructions and strategies about how to turn the situation around. She was verified by the church as an authentic visionary and went into battle, in the year 1429; a woman, driven by her visions and convictions, to glorious success. Unthinkable! Until Anglo-Burgundian conspiracies led to an almost inevitable change in her fortune. (No spoilers here for those that don’t know how this one ends)!

I empathized with Isabelle on all the stages of her emotional journey, as mother to a highly controversial and uniquely driven woman. I felt her wonder at finding herself at court, as the unwitting but proud mother of this sudden national heroine and I felt her anguish acutely, when the tides turned.

Joan Arc, played by Rosie Hallett was the perfect complement to Sherman Fracher's Isabelle. A forthright daughter with a mind of her own, she caught the conviction, trepidation and singular determination of Joan perfectly. Scott Coopwood played Jacques Arc, Isabelle’s reserved and emotionally buttoned down husband and father to Joan, with quiet fortitude and contained energy. Brennan Pickman-Thoon played Joan’s brother with lively enthusiasm and introduced a sense of easy casualness into the way he claimed his sudden status as high ranking soldier and royal courtier through acting as Joan’s guardian. Robert Sicular, played Father Gilbert, the Priest, who first championed Joan, then later reneged on her, when the English accused her of heresy. He brought slightly condescending pedantry to his role with all the finesse of a deft politician on the make, but it was not played without an element of empathy, which brought nuance and dimension to the character. Liz Sklar played the Lady of the Court with a wonderful sense of innocent entitlement and quiet ambition. Her character indicated what women in the highest echelons of 15th century French society could aspire to, if they worked hard, and as such served to emphasize the astonishing achievements of Joan of Arc herself.

In a talk before the play, Jasson Minadakis, artistic director of Marin Theatre Company and also director of this play, discussed the production process and the obstacles endured while putting this performance together. The recent power outages inhibited rehearsals, and put the set build and lighting plans back a week, on what was already a tight pre-production schedule. If he hadn’t mentioned this I’d have never have guessed, but it made the results all the more remarkable. His direction was smooth and seamless, but he attributes the collaborative spirit of the cast and crew for pulling it all off. The other outstanding feature of this play, was the set, designed by Sean Fanning, which, in Jasson Minadakis’ words, is ‘a work of art’. The main feature is the medieval cathedral window, set within stone sculpted walls. Creative use of lighting gave it many moods and allowed it to be transformed into a dungeon as well. The Arc’s simple home was by default less spectacular but nevertheless visually impressive. Chris Houston’s unobtrusive score and Sarah Smith’s simple but lovely costumes, contributed to the authentic mood.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, we’re incredibly lucky to have the Marin Theater Company in our midst. Their excellent choice and quality of productions set them apart, and ‘Mother of the Maid’ is no exception. In working with Jane Anderson, they wisely utilized local talent, and chose to shop local and you should too. Go and see this informative, empathic and emotional take on the enduring story of Joan of Arc. You’ll be entertained whilst supporting this invaluable local institution. And if you’re stuck for holiday gift ideas, tickets to the Marin Theater Company are an excellent choice. I shall definitely be giving some myself.

Hannah Yurke is a Bay Area writer, theater critic and mother.

What: “Mother of the Maid”

Where: Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley (map)

When: Now through December 15

Admission: $25 to $60

Information: 415-388-5208, marintheatre.org

Photos: Kevin Berne, Marin Theatre Company