Grounded for Life

Arthur Kopit’s Wings, currently being revived by Second Stage in a production starring Jan Maxwell, was originally written as a radio play—and it shows. Particularly in director John Doyle’s barebones staging (again?), which focuses the attention on Maxwell’s vocal performance as stroke victim Emily Stilson.

For 70 minutes, we squirm awkwardly in our seats as Maxwell delivers Kopit’s nonsense dialogue with aplomb. The stroke robbed Emily of her memory of words and their meanings, see, so she carries on confidently while spouting made up words as if they were correct. Sometimes she makes total sense; sometimes her conviction almost convinces us that we just don’t recognize the words she’s using. All of which might be very interesting over the radio, but is just about unbearable to sit through.

Also making things awkward is Maxwell’s appearance. The play is set during an indeterminate time, but the title comes from Emily’s former career as a wingwalker; she literally crawled out of airplanes to walk on their wings when she was younger, a popular phenomenon in the ’20s. But Maxwell looks too youthful for the role (Constance Cummings originated the role, when she was nearing 70). The disconnect between Emily’s memories of being out in the open air on a plane—the only thing she can really remember—and her appearance adds just another confusing layer to an already knotty script.

Contrary to the impression that the production and I may give, Wings isn’t actually a monologue by Maxwell; there are several supporting characters, including a series of doctors and fellow stroke victims, all in various stages of recovery. Only Emily’s therapist has any substantial stage time, though, and unfortunately actress January LaVoy doesn’t have much to do other than speak slowly, as if to a child, and prompt Emily to really, really listen to herself speak. That she does so without becoming syrupy is to both hers and Doyle’s credit.

Doyle has tried to keep things visually stimulating, mostly with a series of screens/mirrors and a color-saturated video projection during Emily’s stroke, but there’s not much to do with a show that is literally about a woman trying to remember how to talk. As I sat, watching Emily struggle for the word for tears and Maxwell giving her considerable all to keep us awake, all I could think was how much I’d rather watch a play about actress Patricia Neal and her own stroke recovery, which involved a strict regimen masterminded by her husband Roald Dahl. At least those two characters would give the show a plot—and an emotional connection.

Wings

Through Nov. 21, Second Stage Theatre, 305 W. 43rd St. (betw. 8th & 9th Aves.), 212-246-4422; $75.