Mrs. Mannerly Showcases Actors' Remarkable Comic Timing

by Gerry Roe

ITAC— Mrs. Mannerly, a comedy by Jeffrey Hatcher, is drawn from his experiences as a nine-year-old boy (soon to be ten, he points out) in an etiquette class conducted by a proper lady known as Mrs. Mannerly. The play is autobiographical to a point, but obviously embellished by the adult Jeffrey looking back on those years and sometimes narrating them. If you remember the 60’s, you will remember a turbulent time marked by the Cold War, the Vietnam war, student protests, the emergence of hippies and flower power, and audacious assassinations... but Jeffrey was only nine, and his world is much more restricted.

He is not without ambition, however. He knows that no student of Mrs. Mannerly’s course has ever achieved a perfect score on her final examination, conducted at a luncheon of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Determined to be the best at something (and he knows it won’t be Little League Baseball), he plans to become the best-mannered kid in Steubenville, Ohio, by shattering the record and earning all 100 points on the examination.

Meg Merckens plays the exquisitely mannered Mrs. Mannerly with a diction matching her ramrod-straight posture. She is indeed an intimidating figure, especially to a group of young children, none of whom possess Jeffrey’s obsession with success. Sean Christopher Lewis plays the young Jeffrey, the adult Jeffrey, all of young Jeffrey’s classmates (including two young girls), and a young woman who had been Mrs. Mannerly’s student some years earlier. Merckens and Lewis are well matched; each of them has remarkable comic timing and the ability to portray a character with admirable command of posture, movement, gesture, and tone of voice. They are a treat to listen to and to watch.

Thomas P. Johnson’s direction is both fluid and dynamic. In addition, he has designed a well-balanced evocative set and the images appearing on triple screens above the set contribute handsomely to the scene, the dialogue, and the script.

Oh, yes, the script. There is amusing dialogue, a touch of unresolved mystery, and interesting characters. There is even, in the script, a verbalized distinction between “fake” and “phony.” Therein lies the rub. In my opinion the script is phony. Inconsistencies are glossed over and the play doesn’t really support the actors as they deserve. Nevertheless, because of the acting and directing, this is an effort well worth seeing. Take along your funny bone, and perhaps you could check your thinking cap at the door.

Mrs. Mannerly runs through June 10, 7:30 Fridays and Saturdays, 1:30 Saturdays and Sundays at Iowa Theatre Artists Company in Amana. Tickets are $22.50 ($20 matinee/$10 for students), and are available by calling 319.622.3222 or emailing itac@southslope.net.