The author of "Seven Rabbits on a Pole", John C. Picardi has embarked on the ambitious task of writing a ten play cycle depicting the lives of Italian-American families in the U.S. throughout the decades of the 20th century. This epic vision is the chief problem with the second play of his cycle, now getting a first-rate production at Stoneham. Picardi is more a storyteller than a dramatist, which caused less difficulties in his first effort presented here in May 2004. "The Sweepers" was set just before the end of WWII in the North End and focused more on the current circumstances of its characters. "Seven Rabbits...." which occurs near the end of the Great Depression is less clearly placed on the South Shore near Wollaston Beach and is too dependent on events from the past and offstage or deceased characters, plus excess exposition where more is disclosed about the past than the present. There's enough in this story for a traditional family novel, but the action is not arranged dramatically to create a convincing play or even a melodrama.
Still, a first rate cast under Robert Jay Cronin's careful direction manages to bring the Padrone clan to life. The most difficult acting job, that of the mentally defective daughter, Julia, is brought off by Robyn Elizabeth Lee, previously seen in somewhat undemanding ingenue roles. Despite a somewhat overwritten part, she presents a believably autistic young adult, considered simple and barely educated by her two brothers and a patriarchal father. IRNE winner Cheryl McMahon as the neighbor lady, the widow of a small town doctor is her only female influence. McMahon uses her comic timing to play this almost predictable WASP, Mrs. Priscilla Wilson, as an endearing soul. McMahon's even convincing while becoming attached to Barry J. Press' patriarchal Enio, who's written as too much of a stereotype, including making .him an operatic wannabe because he once met Puccini as a boy in the old country. Press does make him believable, though a dream sequence near the end somewhat strains credulity
The two sons are equally stereotyped, given quirks rather than characters. There's Andrew Miramontes as faithful Peter--the rock-- who does much of the work around the place, including educating his sister and brainy Lawrence, college-educated (where?) and planning to be a teacher. At the opening of the evening, Robert Antonelli is painting a surrealist landscape of his brother on a tractor while Peter is trying to repair said machine offstage in the barn. We soon learn that Lawrence yearns for social justice and aren't surprised that by the end of the play he's in Spain with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade fighting Franco. Peter on the other hand is pining for his girlfriend Irene, who's gone off the California to sell insurance. All three children miss their mother whose death when Lawrence and Julia where young involves some secret. What we don't learn is much about them as people.
And then enter Q. Turner, played by Timothy J. Smith, seen recently as the narrator in Stoneham's "A Prayer for Owen Meany." He's an out-of-work auto-worker from the Detroit area who's just caught a batch of rabbits in the Blue Hills and is hawking them door to door. He too has a long story, having left his family there and come East looking for work, but to make things short, he can fix the tractor and is taken on as a hand. His involvement with the family deepens with predictable difficulties concerning Julia, who's starved for adult affection. Here Picardi's storytelling instincts go a bit overboard, but too much plot may be more interesting than some contemporary works where nothing happens at all. He does run up against the contemporary insistence than a long play be done in two acts. The action in "Seven Rabbits..." would more comfortably fit in three.
The production is well supported by Charlie Morgan's farmyard set, though the prominent well almost in center stage suggests action which never occurs. It might be further upstage. The selective realism employed, with scrim sections in the buildings, an abstracted landscape in the background, and careful lighting by Jeff Adelberg create an effective ambience. An upstage center entrance would have been useful, however, since the upstage side passages have multiple destinations. Possibly one around downstage right as well. Rachel Kurland-Foxglove has given careful attention to the costuming to capture period and character and the sound design by David Wilson, which using a great deal of Puccini--naturally--adds to the action. All in all, "Seven Rabbits on a Pole" is an interesting evening in the theatre, though the script would benefit from rethinking and judicious pruning, not to mention a strong attempt to really define the characters by their onstage actions.