Yes, Kathleen Turner was the main draw for me to see this play – not only was I looking forward to seeing it but when I did, it was good beyond expectations.
Turner commands the stage (the set is a trailer park/junk yard) powerfully.
We speed through the story of her life and why she is attaching so much emotional value to a painting she acquired which she thinks could be worth millions of dollars.
But it is really important to know if the painting will make her rich? There’s more layers to the play – it’s not the story about a gold digger.
As Rachel Fellows said in The Arbuturian, the audience is left guessing. Maybe knowing the value of the canvas is not important. What matters is the devastatingly engaging verbal duel between Turner (Maude) and McDiarmid (Lionel). Stephen Sachs wrote Bakersfield Mist in 2012 so it’s very current and contemporary.
A tight production that leaves you invigorated.