Gary Bell directs an enjoyable production of “The Curious Savage” at Stray Dog Theatre
Bell has found kindness, warmth, and humor in his storytelling. He has produced a satisfying play that strikes empathic chords through the sardonic lampooning of greed. Through February 22nd.
Stray Dog Theatre opens their 2025 season with John Patrick’s “The Curious Savage.” Penned in 1950, “The Curious Savage” examines greed following the death of a parent. Three spoiled adult children battle their stepmother for a ten-million-dollar inheritance.
The three-act comedy opened on Broadway in October of 1950 and ran for three weeks. While Patrick’s play didn’t enjoy great commercial success, it is often performed in high-school and college drama programs. Stray Dog artistic director Gary Bell says, “this play doesn’t often get produced professionally, but here it is on our stage.”
“The Curious Savage” opens as the three stepchildren of Ethel P. Savage are committing her to The Cloisters, a sanitorium, in attempts to extort the cash from their father’s estate. Ethel will be living in the wing with five highly functioning patients who suffer from varied psychological illnesses stemming from traumatic events.
Bell’s direction tells a story with a lot of heart, a bit of dark humor, and a few laughs. He has found warmth and sweetness in Patrick’s narrative through the quirky performances he has elicited from his cast. The first act moves a bit slow as the script takes its time to introduce the 11 characters, but the pace livens significantly in acts two and three. Bell has evoked a lovely performance from Liz Mischel as Ethel, the widow with the cash.
While Ethel is at odds with her out-of-control greedy stepchildren and embroiled in a battle over the estate, she is an empathic and loving woman who shows compassion to the residents of The Cloisters. Actor Liz Mischel’s warm portrayal conveys Ethel’s maternal instincts toward the residents of the facility, juxtaposed with the character’s disdain for her trio of greedy stepchildren. Mischel perfectly captures the multiple layers of Ethel in a truly likeable performance.
Matt Anderson, Sarajane Clark, and Joe Garner play Ethel’s nefarious stepchildren. They exhibit villainous greed and anger in campy, caricatured portrayals that are hilariously horrid and over-the-top. The Savage children will stop at nothing to rob their stepmother of the money their dying father left behind, and Anderson, Clark, and Garner milk their performances in melodramatic fashion.
“The Curious Savage” gets its heart from the delightfully quirky performances of The Cloisters’ residents. Actors Tyson Cole, Camille Fensterman, Gansner, Lindsey Grojean, and Ann Vega, create loveable characters. The actors capture both the struggles of their mental illnesses and some offbeat physical mannerisms. It is their all-in physicality and authentic emotional connection to their characters that effectuates warm audience humanity.
Grojean and Fensterman give standout performances as Fairy May and Mrs. Paddy. Grojean’s physical embodiment of Fairy May’s childlike qualities coupled with the character’s wild confabulations give Fairy May an elfin whimsy. She is a scene stealer. Fensterman’s courageous portrayal gives Mrs. Paddy a kyphotic posture and emotional catatonia that is both humorous and heartbreaking. It is Grojean and Fensterman’s touching portrayals that make their connections to Ethel palpable and their breakthroughs poignant and moving.
David Wassilak and Claire Coffey round out the cast as a facility physician and staff member. Both create memorable portrayals showing caring connections to the patients living at The Cloisters.
Patrick’s 75-year-old script can feel a bit insensitive relative to the understanding, compassion, care, and destigmatization of mental illness in today’s world. But his sweet little satire offsets the ugliness of greed through well intentioned care for traumatized people suffering from mental illness. Bell has found kindness, warmth, and humor in his storytelling. He has produced a satisfying play that strikes empathic chords through the sardonic lampooning of greed.
Stray Dog Theatre’s enjoyable “The Curious Savage” continues at The Tower Grove Abbey through February 22, 2025. More information can be found at straydogtheatre.org.