Theatre Review—

STW Handles The Challenge Of ‘Side Man’ Flawlessly

By June April

STAMFORD — Anyone who enjoys the world of jazz should get tickets for Side Man, which continues at Stamford TheatreWorks only through November 19.

There is always something special about every production staged at STW’s intimate playhouse. With this Tony Award-winning play, there is a different set and cast than the New York production, yet the friends who were with us for a recent show found Stamford’s version quite comparable.

The acting overall was quite impressive, with several of the actors bringing in remarkably memorable performances. John Cariani as the irrepressible Ziggy retains his character’s speech impediment perfectly throughout the play. Joseph McKenna’s portrayal of the addicted horn player Jonesy is as powerful as Frank Sinatra’s performance in the movie 1955 movie The Man with the Golden Arm.

Mick Weber’s portrayal of Gene Glimmer strongly recalls the actor Karl Mauldin’s laconic style. Though a brilliant musician, Clifford’s father comes alive only when he is playing his instrument.  As a father and husband he has practically no emotional investment. It’s a dysfunctional family.

Terry Glimmer is at best an unhappy and unfulfilled woman whose dreams have long ago been crushed and she is a bitter alcoholic, living in and out of mental institutions. 

A bit overzealous in her raging, Shelley Delaney brings an honest sense of the disillusionment and raw pain to her character. In Side Man, the other characters sometime refer to her as Crazy Terry.

Pamela Wiggins brings to her character, the dependent and ever-married waitress Patsy, a very credible characterization. Another new face to the audiences at STW, Victor Barbella portrays a macho-type horn player with strong sexual overtones in his body language and verbiage.

This play is challenging on a number of levels.  STW has a small space, so effective use of lighting is particularly relevant for moods and settings. Production stage manager Megan Ferrara received a special round of applause for the outstanding level of her work, as did Mathew Zelkowitz for his effective lighting design.

Time and settings move back and forth in Side Man, from the heyday of the big bands in the 1950s through the mid 1980s. Told from the perspective of Clifford Glimmer, the son of an outstanding but little-known horn player, the history of an era and a family are traced over four decades.

Making his directorial debut at STW, Dennis Lee Delaney has brought a sensitive perspective to Side Man.  Music is a major interest in his life and that passion has been translated into his approach in working with this play. There is also another telling aspect: the attention to detail. With the shifting back and forth in time, wedding rings were never worn at the inappropriate time and body carriage and language always accurately reflected the age of the characters.

(Stamford TheatreWorks, at 200 Strawberry Hill Avenue on the campus of Sacred Heart Academy, can be contacted at 203/359-4414. Performances this weekend are Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, with matinees Saturday at 4 and Sunday at 2. Tickets range from $14 to $25.)