A Review by Ross Alan Bachelder
of www.artsaplenty.me
“And No More Shall We Part” — onstage through November 26 at Footlights Theatre in Falmouth — is live theatre at its absolute finest: as close to flawlessly performed as any show I’ve seen, anywhere, in a very long time.
Tom Halloway’s play, brilliantly directed by Footlights’ founder and artistic director Michael J. Tobin and assistant director Lindsey Higgins, is masterfully written, with not one wasted word, gesture or emotion anywhere in the script.
It tells the harrowing story of Pam (played by veteran actor Pamela Battin-Sacks) who’s had enough of her debilitating treatment for a life-threatening illness and wants to put an end to her suffering on her terms and no one else’s, and Don (played by her equally skilled and experienced, real-life husband, Steven Sacks), who’s morally and ethically opposed to “death-by-choice,” whether physician-assisted or self-administered.
On the night I was privileged to see this production, it was obvious to me that these two actors are at the very top of their game as thespians. From the moment the lights came up, the truth of my assertion was visible in every onstage nook and cranny of this production. Their timing was exquisite — perfect, really. There were no wasted moments, no inexplicable delays in line delivery, no facial expressions or vocal nuances left unexplored to full measure. It was a joy to see that together, onstage, the two of them were as perfectly attuned to each other as two virtuosic cellists in a double concerto.
Don is not only terrified of losing his life-partner, he’s hotly angry with her for the very way she’s chosen to say goodbye to him and what had undoubtedly been a long-and-happy, supremely rewarding marriage. He employs whatever strategies he can come up with — some of them almost adolescently silly — while trying to persuade her not to go through with her plan for departure. But Pam was obviously not going to be anyone’s pushover, not ever before and certainly not now; she was determined to do what seemed right to her, and hubby-and-others — and their own grown children — be damned.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking this play must be only an emotional downer, void of warm moments and lighthearted humor. Trust me: it has plenty of each! But the magic of the play — a difficult subject in any circumstance — is that it manages to acknowledge, without even one little ounce of acute smarminess and uncalled-for saccharine — the reality that even in a couple’s most difficult moments together, warmth and humor — and a healthy dose of uncompromising honesty — must still have their say.
Not surprisingly, as a person fast approaching 80, I came to last night’s performance remarkably well-prepared to listen to and learn from the lessons it so artfully offered anyone who’s ready, willing, and emotionally strong enough confront them. Friends and neighbors; distant relatives and passing acquaintances; life partners and long-ago lovers: we all have something in common: we get sick. We suffer! We even die!
Even fellow theater goers, who like me attend live theatre as a way to celebrate life, have no ticket to immortality! To that end, I found it truly fascinating — even downright uplifting — that the further we as a gathering got into the emotional meat of this play, the closer I felt to everyone else in the room, onstage and off.
The surpassing beauty of “And No More Shall We Part” is that it did not shrink from the universals. It took rare and genuine courage for Michael Tobin and Footlights to stage “And No More Shall We part.” It took equal helpings of courage for Tom Holloway to write the play. And as I see it, it took nearly inhuman courage for Pamela Battin-Sacks and Steven Sacks — who like all the rest of us are hardly immune to the possibility of tragedy and loss — to perform it!
Yes, it will require a certain reservoir of courage for you to see this play, too! But I have no doubt that many of you — the hardcore realists, the born adventurers, the intrepid lovers of the Arts everywhere — have more than what it would take to come and see this powerful, poignant, unforgettable performance.
We need to remember — all of us — that live theatre was never meant to provide us only with moments of airbrushed levity, seen through rose-colored glasses. Its purity lies in its honesty — its granite-hard commitment to share the Full Monte of human triumphs, predicaments, and emotions, one play at a time.
So my advice to you, fellow theatre lovers, is, do not run from this opportunity to see, live onstage, right here in Falmouth, one of the great universal truths about life. The lessons you learn will be invaluable; your love for your friends, family and significant others will be enriched beyond measure; and just think: you will have been right here in this wonderful theatre — Footlights Theatre — seeing one of the finest performances you could ever hope to catch, in this season, any other season, or anywhere in New England and beyond!
Footlights Theatre is located on 190 US Route One in Falmouth, Maine. Shows are Thursdays 7 pm, Fridays 7:30 pm, and Saturdays 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm. To reserve your tickets for a performance of “And No More Shall We Part” — and other Footlights events — call the Box Office — open 24/7 — at 207-747-5434.