"Shirley Valentine" isn't thin like a model or worldly like some of her friends. She isn't rich. She isn't confident. She isn't spontaneous.
She's actually a middle-age English housewife who is bored of the drudgery that is her life, drained of the energy and enthusiasm she once had.
Written by Willy Russell, "Shirley Valentine," now playing at Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern, represents everyone and anyone who has stepped aside to let life pass by and regretted the move.
Shirley resonates with the audience. She married young, lost sight of herself in her marriage and now yearns for something new and challenging. She wants her life back. She wants to feel excited. She wants to be energized. When she finally faces her fears head-on and travels to Greece on holiday, she happily rediscovers the Shirley she once was.
This one-woman play needs a strong actress to carry off the volumes of dialogue that fill almost two hours of stage time. Director Amy Berlin found that level of talent in Jill Bari Steinberg. Steinberg proved that she could pull off a show like this when she performed the one-woman play "The Syringa Tree" at Barksdale in 2006.
Steinberg skillfully takes us into Shirley's world. She slips into the character with ease and understanding. She moves through Shirley's emotions in a way that defines both Shirley's humorous take on life and her own insecurities and disappointments. When Shirley heads to Greece, Steinberg captures the character's exhilaration and her performance rises to new heights.
Under Berlin's direction, Steinberg actually performs the tasks of preparing and cooking "eggs and chips." The tasks bring realism to the play, making Shirley relatable and authentic.
Set Designer Terrie Powers adds to that realism through her designs, from a fully stocked and working kitchen that harkens back to earlier times to a Greek shoreline, complete with a pool of water. Matthew Land's lighting designs build another layer of realism to each and every scene.
"Shirley Valentine" is humorous, poignant and charming. It's not a play with belly laughs or tissue-laden moments. It's a hopeful play that gently reminds you not only to challenge yourself but to also enjoy life along the way.