"LAST SWALLOWS" EXPLORES FAMILY DYNAMIC OF INCLUSION/EXCLUSION AT THE ACTORS COMPANY

Families have always been a ripe ground for playwrights to mine - but in current times, the issues of same sex marriage and financial inequality have added fuel to the fire. Playwright Cailin Maureen Harrison dives headfirst into this topic in her latest dramedy "Last Swallows," directed by Kiff Scholl and now playing at the Other Space at The Actors Company on Formosa Avenue in West Hollywood.

How to describe the Whitestone family? They drink -  a lot; they argue - frequently; they talk over each other - constantly; but in the end they love each other - completely. Matriarch Elizabeth (a fine, measured performance by Shaw Purnell) worried over her husband Robert's declining health, is determined to bring her fractured family together for one last vacation in Martha's Vineyard. Not an easy task to orchestrate as Elizabeth discovers when trying to wrangle her three grown children and their families into committing to a firm date.

International financier Thomas (Ty Mayberry, a dead ringer for Eric McCormack) and his California-born homeopathic healer wife Moira (a sensitive and finely honed portrayal by Leilani Smith) are juggling the travel demands of his career and their recent decision to relocate to California.

Uptight eldest daughter Julia (Tina Van Berckelaer), the manager of a florist shop and her UPS delivery man husband Edward (Matthew Downs) are struggling to raise their family on a tight budget. Her simmering resentment of her siblings and their perceived lack of support of their elderly parents drives her fevered interactions with everyone, much to her detriment.

Youngest child Caroline (Abby Eiland) is a high-strung, successful doctor, married to Simone (Leah Zhang), a local politician in the midst of a re-election campaign. Any advice Caroline dares to offer to her mother regarding her father's health is pounced on and rejected by an angry Julia who constantly reminds her "But you're not Dad's doctor!"

Overall, things are tense in the Whitestone family. In self defense, father Robert (Bob Telford) retreats into his singular hobby of bird watching, commenting wryly on his situation from behind large binoculars, despite Elizabeth's efforts to engage him in their domestic life.

As you can imagine, the stage is set for epic conflicts and emotional meltdowns, and Harrison's play delivers all that, but don't think "August Osage County" here - these are New Englanders with all their WASP mores and attitudes embedded.

We eventually come to see that the real heart of this play is the loving relationship between Elizabeth and Moira, which is resented by the sisters and nearly sabotaged by Robert. Moira is the only one who truly listens to and understands Elizabeth. She soothes, tends to and attempts to lighten the load for her stressed out mother-in-law. No wonder Elizabeth is devastated by the news that Thomas and Moira are set to move 3000 miles away, especially when we realize why Elizabeth needs her support more than ever now. It is a beautifully realized performance by both actors.

That being said, it is not easy to follow the action in this often fractured play. The choice is made to stage the show in four separate areas of action, representing the homes of each family member which gets a little busy. The playwright, or perhaps the director,  has the actors overlap their lines or speak simultaneously, which can work in a Sondheim musical or TV sitcom, but not so well here; it's a device that becomes tiresome after a while. There is also the use of overpowering music during scene changes which is supposed to serve as commentary to the action but is often intrusive.

Despite those hiccups, the cast does a good job portraying the loving chaos of the Whitestone family. Thomas and Moira are definitely the most fleshed-out characters; too bad that Robert, Caroline and Julia are annoyingly self-consumed and unsympathetic characters. One pities their long-suffering yet supportive spouses!

In addition to veteran director Scholl, the behind the scenes team makes the most of the small space provided - a nod to scenic designer Brad Bentz, lighting designer Josh La Cour, and sound designer Jesse Mandapat.

There is a lovely coda to the play which features a poem that captures the wistful quality of family dynamics. When one leaves the theater, it is with a new appreciation for our loved ones, despite everything we endure in our lives with them.

"Last Swallows" runs through October 20 at The Other Space at The Actors Company, 916 A North Formosa Avenue in West Hollywood. Tickets are $30 and can be obtained by visiting www.Onstage411.com/swallows or by calling 323-960-5770.

-- Lisa Lyons