The “odd couple” comedy is a proven formula for a successful play, from the
Neil Simon classic, to the currently running Modern Orthodox, to the recent
Rounding Third.  The latter was an unexpectedly fine comedy about two very
different little league coaches which should have been a huge hit for the
Colony Theatre, but somehow failed to attract crowds.  The same cannot be
said for the Trying, the biggest hit the Colony has had in quite a while, and the
best two-actor comedy of the year.

Trying, by Joanna McClelland Glass, is based on the playwright’s real life
experiences as secretary to former U.S. Attorney General Francis Biddle in the
late 1960s.  Biddle was a cranky old man of 81 at the time, his life of great
achievements behind him. (Besides being Roosevelt’s A.G., he was also Chief
American Judge at the Nuremberg Trials.) In fact, Biddle foresaw quite
correctly that this would be the last year of his life.  “I’m in the process of
leaving my life,” he frequently declares. “The exit sign is flashing over the door.”

Sarah Schorr, Glass’s fictional alter ego, arrives to replace Biddle’s previous
secretary (was she fired or did she quit?), only to find one of the most irascible
(yet ultimately loveable) stage characters in memory.  A stickler for grammar,
Biddle bristles when Sarah calls herself a voracious reader (it should be
voluminous). This type of mistake, or using “bring” in place of “take” or
(heaven forbid!) splitting infinitives, are what Biddle calls (again and again) “a
thorn in my side.” Biddle will never admit to being wrong, and Sarah puts up
with his grumpiness until, in a great turnaround, she finally stands up for
herself…and the play catches fire.

For an “odd couple” comedy to truly work, the characters must undergo
change, and watching these two opposites come to feel respect,
understanding, and even love for each other, is one of the joys of this
production.

Director Cameron Watson has done a splendid job with his two amazing
actors.  He recruited his Ovation nominated I Capture the Castle star
Rebecca Mozo to play Sarah, and she suggested the brilliant Alan Mandell
(her Taper Cherry Orchard costar) for the role of Biddle.  Two finer choices
could not have been made.

There have been other productions of Trying (the title refers to the way each
character “tries” to adjust to the other, as well as how “trying” each finds the
other), but this is the first to achieve widespread acclaim. The reason for this is
indubitably Alan Mandell.  (He’d be Sir Alan were he British.) The LA Times critic
has called Mandell’s performance “one of the five best performances you will
see in this lifetime.” Though I’m not sure I'd be willing to go that far, I think
what prompted such high praise is that rarely does one see a) an actor of
Mandell’s age (he’s 79) perform with such flawlessness and b) a role for an
older actor of such size and complexity. It is a brilliant performance in a
beautifully written role.  Mandell shows us every facet of Biddle’s personality
and character, and as he gradually grows feeble, we feel, as Sarah does, the
desire to reach out and hold him.

Rebecca Mozo is rapidly becoming one of our finest and busiest young
actresses around , and I have enjoyed watching her blossom in her stage
career.  We know from the start that Sarah is no pushover, but we see  that
she’s not quite sure of how to handle herself around this testy old man. Our joy
is in watching her gain confidence in herself. The scene where she finally
stands her ground elicits a deserved round of applause.  In the final scene (to
give details would be to spoil the surprise), Mozo expresses in her eloquent eyes
just what the audience too is feeling at that moment.  Memorable!

Set designer Victoria Profitt  and properties designers MacAndMe deserve
special praise for the intricately designed set depicting Biddle’s upstairs office
(it's a converted hayloft) and the many period perfect props. There’s not only
a classic Underwood typewriter, but carbon paper as well (do they still make
it?), and a 60s Dictaphone.  Cricket Myers sound design incorporates mood-
setting classical music during scene changes, and Jared Sayeg’s lighting
depicts the sunlight through the picture window and the passing of the
seasons. A. Jeffrey Schoenberg has designed costumes which are late 60s
perfect.

Trying sets the bar high for the rest of the Colony’s season, but how wonderful
it is to see every seat in the house filled. This is one production which not only
tries, it most definitely succeeds.

Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2 and 7 through September 9;
Colony Theatre, 555 North Third Street,  Burbank.  (818) 558-7000

--Steven Stanley