Theater : Those who stayed home

By Brooks Robards
Published: June 18, 2009

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The story of women who sailed with their whaling husbands has been told, but the lives of those who stayed home has not been chronicled. Edgartown's E. St. John Villard has delightfully remedied that absence with her musical, "An Island of Women," produced by the Island Theatre Workshop.

From left, Barbara Fehl, Alison Taylor, and Abigail Southard assume the roles of 19th century Island women who remained home as their whaling husbands went to sea. Photo by M.C. Wallo

With music by Philip Dietterich, a retired minister who summers in Oak Bluffs, "An Island of Women" premiered at The Yard on Thursday, June 11, in a benefit for the Martha's Vineyard Museum.

Based on extensive research about the Vineyard's whaling families, the play is subtitled "Life on the Vineyard, 1850-1852," and bases its fictional characters on three real Island families.

Suzanna Norton (played by Barbara Fehl) manages the family farm, while her whaler husband, Schubael, is at sea. Refusing to accept that her husband, Ebenezer, has been lost at sea for many years, Thankful Mayhew (Alison Taylor) runs the family store. Elizabeth Osborne (Pamela Butterick) is the affluent neighbor who hasn't heard from her husband, Cornelius, in more than three years, and misses her daughter-in-law and granddaughter who are at sea with her son, Benjamin.

Keeping the relatives straight is daunting, but if Ms. Villard had to sacrifice character development by using such a large cast, she has effectively captured the sweep of history through narrative detail.

In one scene, daughter-in-law Sarah Cooke Norton (Katrina Nevin) protests to her sister-in-law Hannah (Katharine Pilcher) that she hardly remembers what her husband looks like. In a powerful, poignant duet, "Friendship," the two celebrate the consolations of their social connection.

A pregnant Hannah's husband Jared (Matt Pelikan) heads to sea, while little David Norton (James DiMattia) complains because he isn't old enough to ship out yet; Patience Mayhew (Kathryn Antonsson) moves to New Bedford to work in a mill as she waits for her betrothed to return from whaling; and Mercy (Abigail Southard), determined not to follow the path of the other women, falls in love with an off-Island builder, Peter Bradford (Dan Larkosh). In a vibrant soprano, Ms. Southard sings, "I Don't Want to Marry a Whaler."

In a clever, if sometimes awkward device to share the contents of the letters from abroad that keep families in touch, Elizabeth and Lucretia (Martha Hudson) take turns reading each other's letters aloud to their respective daughters, Sofronia (Belle Dinning) and Lucinda (Gabrielle McElhinnay-Wilbur). What is highly effective is the epistolary format itself as a powerful reminder of how communication technology has changed in the past 157 years.

The only adult male who stays home other than Peter is Captain Jonathan Fisher (Brad Austin) -- who lost an arm in an accident at sea. It would have been nice to gain a stronger sense of his role in this community of women.

The music in "An Island of Women" consists of a remarkable 16 different songs. Not used strictly in the manner of conventional musicals, the songs become an evocative and varied expression of the Island women's feelings and a perfect compliment to the narrative. Inserted for a church service scene are two hymns, which the audience is invited to sing along, a wonderfully innovative and appropriate addition to the musical repertoire.

Not every song is a somber lament of longing. "What We Put in a Sailor's Chest," offers a lively list of a mariner's needs, and "The Knitting Song" is a delightful reminder of the important role of such women's crafts. "Am I Falling in Love?" is a classic romantic tune, and "Vineyard Women" makes a suitable finale.

Mr. Dietterich deserves credit for the way his music -- particularly the lovely duets -- enhances the narrative. He and Ms. Villard have effectively mined Vineyard history to create a compelling theatrical event. Ms. Villard includes many historical nuggets, like the origin of the word Chappaquiddick as "sometimes island," and lingo like "greasy voyages" for successful whaling trips. She pays long overdue tribute to the way the independent women of that era who stayed home managed, even when society ignored their contributions by refusing to list them in the census.

With such a large cast, it isn't really possible, or perhaps appropriate, to single out the individual performers. In true Vineyard fashion, this company -- children and adults alike-- comes together as a unit. All deserve praise for their efforts in contributing a valuable addition to Vineyard lore, as well as cellist Jan Hyer, and the rest of the production staff.

Ms. Villard, who captains the On Time to and from Chappaquiddick, has put her love of Island history and her 20-plus years of teaching and directing theater to excellent use. Let's hope this charming musical gets performed annually.

"An Island of Women," tonight, Thursday, June 18, at the Sailing Camp in Oak Bluffs. Thursday-Sunday, June 25-28, at the Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven. Evening performances, 7:30 pm., matinees, 3 pm. Tickets are $30 for sponsors, $15 for regular admission, with a family rate of $40 for two adults and unlimited children. 508-693-2769; itwmv.org.

Brooks Robards writes on books, film, and the arts for The Times.