Phillyist Reviews... When Something Wonderful Ends

As a little girl, I had my share of Barbies. My mom got rid of them a long time ago, but I still love those dolls, feminist sensibilities be damned. (At some point during When Something Wonderful Ends, a very logical explanation is offered as to why Barbies have such impossible waists: just because the doll is small, doesn't mean that the textiles used to dress her are any less bulky. To give the doll more human proportions when she's not dressed would be to make her look heavier when she is. And nobody likes a fat doll, right?) Many of my childhood memories can be tied into my early-80s Barbies and Barbie accessories; for some reason, my Peaches 'N' Cream Barbie and a hot pink, metallic Corvette especially stand out.

As it turns out, most little girls who played with Barbie Dolls have Barbie Doll memories. And that's where When Something Wonderful Ends begins. But never fear, it's not just ninety minutes of Barbie reminiscences. Instead, the vintage Barbies littering the stage (all 100% authentic: I do not envy the production designers one bit) serve as a jumping-off point for actress Lori Wilner - in the role of the show's playwright, Sherry Kramer - to meditate on her mother's death, American foreign relations, Judaism, and our country's century-long relationship with Middle Eastern Oil. The one-woman show moves seamlessly across these seemingly disparate topics. It's an interesting concept, when you think about it: Barbies are made of plastics. Plastics come from petrochemicals. Petrochemicals come from petroleum. Oil.

And all that being said, the play is never too political, never too anti-war. It would feel out of place and alienating to the audience. That's why the Barbies keep coming back and aren't packed up and put away until the end of the piece. There's nothing wrong with political sentiment being voiced, but when you can do it in a charming, endearing, and utterly non-threatening way, it's often even better. The audience wants to listen even more.

Ms. Wilner's performance as Sherry is truly outstanding: she has masterful control over her own vocal modulation and she's gifted at eliciting great sympathy from the audience when her character is suffering, and also great laughter from the audience when her character is not. Doing a one-person show, especially one in which you play one character throughout, is a daunting task. Kudos to Ms. Wilner for keeping the audience engaged.

Photo by Harlan Taylor and courtesy of Actors Theatre of Louisville, via InterAct.