Top Vision, Top Execution, Top Entertainment: “Top Girls”

By Gabriel Morales
For the Real Critics Blog

Featuring an impressive all-female cast, superbly directed to powerful realism, 3 Theatre’s “Top Girls” is an electric, riveting, in-your-face theatre experience.

What do a medieval damsel, Germanic warrior princess, Buddhist concubine-nun, Victorian explorer and philosophizing pope have in common? They’re all deceased, time-travelling dinner guests at a surrealistic party held by a Reagan-era British business woman -- Act One of Carol Churchill’s somberly poignant drama of feminine tribulation and mystique. Through this unabashed, dark-witted conversation, Churchill outlines woman’s struggle through centuries of misogynistic oppression, foreshadowing -- Act Two and Three’s modern-day vignettes of the same personalities and trials that have endured the changing zeitgeists.

Overall, the ensemble is wonderful, aptly demonstrating a wide range of characters and mostly consistent dialects. Alisa Ann Lovas (Griselda/Nell) brings an affective naïveté to her roles. Melissa Smith (Kit/Shona), a young veteran of musical theatre, delivers as the sassy youth empathetic to her best friend’s familial plight. Rhiannon Cowles (Lady Nijo/Win) is a delight to watch as both the stoic Kabuki-faced courtesan -- with her moving revenge monologue -- and Nijo's modern alter ego, Win, a smooth-talking, well-traveled, Burnettesque office worker. Paige Polcene (Pope Joan/Louise) is great as the lady pontiff, especially when she lets loose with her mournful prayer -- in Latin. Sarah Jacques (Dull Gret/Angie) makes the largest shift between characters as she goes from sword-bearing combatant to discontented juvenile -- a change deftly made. Believable as a downtrodden teen, moving as a boorish, gluttonous ancient, Jacques’s monologue about her journey into hell is chilling.

Desiree Hill (Isabella Bird/Joyce) is a strong addition to the ensemble; having worked with Second City and Steppenwolf among others, Hill’s training and experience is readily apparent. Her scenes sizzle with voracity and power as the self-possessed Victorian, and even more so as the abusive matriarch of her dysfunctional family. At last, but far from the least, Rebecca Williams enthralls as the sultry-voiced top girl, Marlene. With intelligent choices she deftly navigates the central character’s difficult journey as a no-nonsense businessperson and distraught absentee mother -- avoiding the pitfalls of demonstrative presentation and caricatured British accent. From her silent entrance into the dark head trip of an opening scene, to the explosive argument and aftermath during the closing beats, Williams possesses an intense focus and clarity of motivation that is a vision to behold.

Seasoned director Patrick Brien should be proud of this bold, captivating production. With great costuming and a delicately crafted tone -- sans the self-consciousness and aspirant habits often seen in non-professional theatre -- Brien and his cast have created a dynamic, gripping production that would make Grotowsky smile.

3 Theatre's "Top Girls" continues through Oct. 24 at the Mission Galleria in Riverside.