‘The Treasurer’ Tackles Complex Family Relationships
The Treasurer; photo courtesy of Next Act Theatre
Familial relationships can be incredibly complex, especially the relationship between parent and child. As children grow older, and their parents enter late adulthood, things can become even more convoluted as roles reverse and children are expected to take on caregiving roles. But what happens when you feel like your parents don’t deserve special treatment from you?
This is the topic that Max Posner’s The Treasurer attempts to tackle. The main character, “The Son” (Reese Madigan), is a grown man who’s elderly mother has to move into an assisted living facility. Through some exposition we learn that when he was young his mother, Ida Armstrong (Annabel Armour), left her first husband and her three children to marry a man who would bring her a life of adventure.
Fast forward a few decades, Ida’s second husband has died and she has spent all of her money. She now relies on her children to provide for her. However, she’s still spending as though she has the funds, and her son is growing more resentful by the moment.
The story unfolds around that premise. In the back of every scene there’s the hidden notion of familial obligation, and The Son has to fight against his instincts and desires to keep peace among him, his brothers and their mother.
Guilt and frustration bubble to the surface several times throughout the play, as Ida refuses to accept her new reality, and The Son is forced to bankroll it (hence, The Treasurer). The play features some surprising and gut wrenching twists, but overall it’s a sparse and simple tale. There are some interesting devices at play throughout the story, including a recurring monologue where The Son describes his daily activities, (“I’m driving down the street, I’m taking a left”) that add up to something bigger at the end.
With a simple set and only four actors, the success of the play relied heavily on the skill of the performers and the choices of the director. Cody Estle, Artistic Director at Next Act made his in-house directorial debut with The Treasurer. The play was a strong choice for Estle – an opportunity to demonstrate his storytelling and communication skills through an intimate drama.
Annabel Armour and Alexis Green on stage; photo courtesy of Next Act Theatre
Supporting actors Alexis Green and David Flores also shine here. Both Green and Flores play multiple roles that help to build a robust understanding of this family dynamic, including the two other sons who have to interact with Ida.
Next Act regular Reese Madigan does a great job at handling the sensitive material playing The Son. Some of the moments are crass, but they’re honest.
Even during the scenes where he is at his most upset (he yells at his mother for purchasing a new phone on his dime) or his most vulnerable (“I don’t love my mother,” he says in a monologue), Madigan pulls it off with finesse and tenderness. For a ninety minute play, we got to see multiple facets of The Son, and grew to have a better understanding of how his role as a father has impacted his feelings about his mother.
Chicago actress Annabel Armour, who plays the mother Ida Armstrong, was an absolute joy to watch. She nailed all the idiosyncrasies of a complicated character. It was easy to fall in love with her.
She was charming, funny and full of wisdom. She was also aloof, avoidant and frustrating, maybe even a hair narcissistic. All of the complexities came to life through Armour, who didn’t miss a beat.
The story suffered not because of the acting or direction, but due to the distracting music that was played between scenes. Electronic music featuring strong synths and percussion played through the speakers between scenes. After an impassioned scene, the music brought the viewer out of the moment, making it difficult to build to an emotional swell in the moments the story called for it. It was loud and anachronistic, and distracted from the great performances on stage.
Alexis Green, Reese Madigan and David Flores on stage; photo courtesy of Next Act Theatre.
Overall, this was an authentic performance that will ring true for a lot of people who have complicated familial relationships. Don’t be fooled by the simple set up and sparse set design, the poignant story and stellar portrayals add up to a whole that is much bigger than the sum of its parts.
The Treasurer runs at Next Act through May 19. You can grab your tickets online.
