Anne Von Herrman kicks back as Helen Beechum
Playwright Jen Ellison’s “Invasion of the Minnesota Normals” invites the audience into the alcoholic living room of Ruth and Roy McKinley, intricately staged at Hollywood's Lounge Theater. The setting serves as the operation center of homemaker Ruth’s begrudging cocktail parties with her fellow Chicago suburbanites. Ruth (played by the delightfully witty Deborah F. Reed) is prepping for a party on a night that's as dark and stormy as her nocuous mood. After Ruth’s husband slips in the house unbeknownst to her, Walter (the snarky Rich Hutchman) is the first guest to arrive. What follows is tight sexual tension between the two, as Walter stumbles upon a number of cards—a “personality test” from Roy’s ad agency—used to determine if one is “normal.”
Thus the suffocating malaise of 1950s suburbia begins. With the arrival of the next guests—gossippy Helen and Stanley “I hate my wife” Beechum—everyone becomes intrigued by the test. It's not until the new neighbors—squeaky Robert and wide-eyed Mary Jones from Minnesota—pop by that the intrusive nature of the questions are revealed.
Yes, the play does offer more complexity than a standard martini. The production was inspired by actual research on a control group of mainly white, Protestant individuals who were, on average, 35 with an eighth-grade-level education. Members of this group—composed of mostly Minnesotans—“were to form psychology’s benchmark of normality for the next 50 years,” according to the production's playbill. But while the play's theme challenges notions of conformity, the plot offers tension and intrigue as twisted as its central character, Ruth. “You know, I enjoy the grotesque in some things,” Ruth laughs lightly.
The dialogue is startlingly natural, given its intelligence and complex wordplay. The set and staging are well-orchestrated too, with careful attention to the 50s-era household and a special nod to the characters' functioning alcoholism via a fully stocked bar.
Thankfully, the show is enjoyable enough that you won’t need to kick back with your own cocktail beforehand to enjoy the production. The impressive talent of the cast, the well-rounded script and the smart direction by Melissa Denton all stand on their own. But if your lips are lingering for some lubrication and you’re fresh out of lip balm, you’ll be satisfied to know that wine and drinks are available before and after the show. Just sayin'...
What: Invasion of the Minnesota Normals
Where: The Lounge Theatre, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038
When: Thurs. through Sat., 8 p.m., March 13-April 19
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