Feeling neglected, Dionysus is looking for a little love. Or at the very least some worshippers. The greek god of the grape harvest and wine has been spending time in a lesbian commune in Vermont. Our god is now a goddess and a very butch one at that. Hurricane Diane hatches a plan to start recruiting acolytes in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Carol Fleischer (perfectly embodied by Mia Barron) has been carefully clipping pretty photos of her dream garden from HGTV magazine. Landscaper Diane (Becca Blackwell) listens intently but has no intention of designing a yard with curb appeal. Ever hear of permaculture, she asks. A grassless yard with bugs? Carol scoffs and does not hire Diane to do the work.
Recounting this story to three neighbors from the cul-de-sac, Carol lets them know that Diane made a pass at her. Are you sure? The “girls” dissect for clues. Beth (Kate Wetherhead) is the quieter one whose husband has recently left her. Her front lawn hasn’t been mowed in months. Renee (Michelle Beck) is now a successful businesswoman and works for the gardening magazine. She knows about permaculture and thinks the idea would make a great feature article. The fourth member of this team is purebred New Jersey Italian palazzo-loving Pam Annunziata (Danielle Skraastad). She’s loud, wears big heels and is a superbly realized caricature.
All of these woman are stereotypes with familiar stories and worries. This group is gossipy, supportive, judgmental and a great deal of fun to watch. Playwright Madeleine George is clearly comfortable writing hilarious zingers. Hurricane Diane is certainly a comedy. When the play is over, you realize that you’ve just sat through the most entertaining lecture on climate change ever. The play is smart, clever and over-the-top ridiculous. The pawpaw tree gets multiple jokes.
Why does Diane travel to a beach community in New Jersey? One which has recovered from the devastation wreaked by a hurricane named Sandy in 2012? The answer is completely selfish. If humans wipe themselves off the planet with continually rising temperatures leading to massive starvation, who will be left to worship the gods? Shouldn’t these ladies be especially amenable to doing their part to restore the earth to a healthier place?
Director Leigh Silverman expertly weaves this swirling plot from a coffee clatch to a religious epiphany only to return to the cul-de-sac for a little more gossip and truth-telling. This is the kind of play when certain combinations of characters reappear you feel excited to see what’s next. A co-production between the New York Theatre Workshop and WP (Women’s Project) Theater, I highly recommend this crafty ecomanifesto. Acting, costumes, set, lighting and music were top notch.
Carol knows exactly the type of garden she wants in her patch of the world. Carol is living the life she ardently believes is best with all her heart and soul. Carol’s monologue near the end of the play is monstrously effective. In it, I heard the stubbornness of the human race. I saw scientific evidence about climate change falling on deaf ears. I felt this playwright hitting the bullseye. That speech should have been the end of the play. The tacked on coda deflated what soared so high just moments before.
Does our goddess succeed in her quest? This highly memorable god versus mortal battle is very amusing as the New Jersey suburbanite can be a most vexing creature. Hurricane Diane, the play, is unquestionably a winner. Hurry to see it before biblical floods wipe out the East Village.