Heiress Productions is a non-profit theater company founded in New York City in 2006 by Laura Faith and Mary Willis White. The company tries to raise awareness of cancer and cancer organizations and donates a portion of each production’s ticket sales to a specific cancer organization. Their latest show, “My Purple Wig”, will benefit United Against Lung Cancer (UALC).
“My Purple Wig” tells the story of a Toronto nuclear family dealing with cancer-stricken mother Evelyn (played by Carey Urban), who wears different parti-colored wigs to conceal and highlight the effects of chemotherapy. It’s her way of dealing with the physical and emotional devastation of the disease. Her husband Tom (Eric Percival) is supportive in many ways, including finding his wife a New Age art therapist. However, things get sour when a slight flirtation develops between his wife and the beefcake therapist and she continues to live for 18 months beyond her prognosis. Her children also have unconventional ways of dealing with their mother’s oscillations between near death and recoveries.
Unfortunately, “My Purple Wig” handles a well-known situation with complete lack of pathos, or any trace of real emotion. The scenes do not ring true, the dialogue is banal, and the plot is boring. The climax of the play, the emotional punch of the piece, which could have been very powerful because cancer has become such a universal topic, has no momentum or impact. Perhaps the problem with this play is that it is too realistic (at one point, two characters silently sweep the living room set). The only dramatic aspect of this play is that the central character has cancer. Very sad, yes, but not enough to maintain interest on stage for two hours with intermission.
On the other hand, the performances are all truly noteworthy in spite of the lousy script. Peter Oliver as son Noah plays his role with cool restraint in sharp contrast Laura Faith’s part as the family’s more volatile daughter Allie. Faith, a co-founder of Heiress Productions, has a good understanding of how her character evolves and modulates her movements very well as each scene requires. As for the direction, Andrea Andresakis does the best she can, all things considered. Again, the faults are really all with the dull text.
It is a shame that “My Purple Wig” is not more of a powerhouse considering that it will benefit such a great cause. However, no cause, no matter how great, is worth being bored for. Potential audiences are advised to make contributions to their favorite cancer charities instead of attending this play.
For more information on Heiress Productions, check out their website: https://www.heiressproductions.org/
