The Plays the Thing-A Local Play Reading that Is

In a local art gallery, in the presently overrun tourist town of Healdsburg, a small group of locals ventured out to hear a play reading of Healdsburg's own playwright, Ron Nash entitled "A Good Deal." "A Good Deal" is an apropos title because it was free and the artistic director of our local Raven Performing Arts Theater, Steven Martin, invited the attendees and cast to join him at the Raven following the reading for a talkback with complimentary wine and beer. What a deal! But, here's the real deal. Come and support our local talent and socialize with your neighbors. Original works are not only special, they're "the lifeblood of live theater". (S Martin) The Raven Theater's mission includes the performance of an original play annually in a fully staged production. In addition, several one act plays are also selected and then produced, cast and performed for audiences every year. The reading step is crucial to the process of  writing and reworking a play. Feedback from an audience is vital in bringing a new play to fruition. Monday night was the reading of "A Good Deal", a two act, three character play set in the present day Dec. 23rd -mid Jan. inside a rustic home in the Catskill Mountains. Dir. Martin set the scene in a work room with tools, wood, shavings and carved birds in various stages of completion. Martin also read all stage directions. The three actors were Lee, a psychologist from Santa Fe (Mary DeLorenzo), Bo, Lee's love interest (Craig Peoples) and Leaf,  Lee's estranged adult daughter (Skylar Saltz). The play is a tragic, romance/family drama. All three actors fully inhabited their characters. Perhaps, more than necessary as in  most play readings actors don't move on stage and are not required to make contact with each other. However, the actor playing Lee and Bo didn't miss an opportunity to kiss during the run through. A line used in the play, "taking one for the team" may have been literally taken to heart here. Saltz as Leaf was exceptional in her role which was underwritten and given too swift an arch regarding her embitterment towards her mom. Overall it was too mawkish a love story with a posthumous recording. The allegorical flying birds were too heavy handed. However, Ron Nash wrote some deft dialogue between Bo and Lee. Lee's one-sided telephone conversations were also credible. Not believable was the burning down of Lee's home for her advocating for minorities. Lee arrives at Bo's home, now homeless which makes her motive for moving back disingenuous and was unwarranted. An easy edit from the audience was to change Leaf's name as it is too similar to Lee.  I think the metaphors used of leaves falling outside was a tad too much, too. But, do make a point of participating in making live theater thrive while being out and about with your local community thespians and members.