“Dividing the Estate” a divine human comedy at the HSC

HARTFORD — In Horton Foote’s oh-so human comedy “Dividing the Estate” the family members waste no time getting to the point — some want desperately to divide the family’s valuable estate before the matriarch has died.
Set in a fictional town of Harrison, Texas in 1987 during the savings and loan crash, the story couldn’t be more poignant or timely today, with the global financial crisis making those good old days pale in comparison.
What a honor to have the whole 2009 Tony nominated Broadway production, in this show with the venerable Lois Smith playing Stella, the strong matriarch, here in Hartford. Directed on Broadway by Hartford Stage’s own Michael Wilson, this play is a funny, direct, and often moving story of a family’s attitude around money and familial ties.
Leading the cast, and up for a 2009 Tony for best lead actress in a play, Foote’s daughter, Hallie Foote is dynamic as the straight-forward, energetic, focused woman.
Foote plays sister Mary Jo who is desperate for more money since she and her husband, Bob, played with grand gusto by James DeMarse, and their two daughters, live well beyond their means.
These characters could be stereotypical and pathetic, but they aren’t. When situations veer on the tragic, the family’s aged servant, Doug, played by Arthur French, steps in with some welcome comic relief.
Son, the family’s only gainfully employed individual has the thankless job of trying to run the estate. Played with patience and integrity by Devon Abner, Son is the moral center of the household.
Gerald McRaney plays Uncle Lewis, who has good intentions, but a weakness for alcohol and gambling. McRaney’s Lewis can be an embarrassment to the family, but he also has his own sense of integrity. His relationship with a teenager is creepy though. That teenager, Irene, played by Virginia Kull, makes a brief but indelible appearance near the end.
The lighting, designed by Rui Rita, streams through the windows and doors and manages to give a real but subtle sense of the intense Texas sunshine.
Sadly Horton Foote died in March, 10 days short of his 93 birthday, but he has left an amazing legacy with this play, and “The Orphan’s Home Cycle” that Hartford audiences will luckily get the chance to see next season.

DIVIDING THE ESTATE

3½ Stars
Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church Street, Hartford.
Production: Written by Horton Foote. Directed by Michael Wilson. Scene design by Jeff Cowie. Costume Design by David C. Woolard. Original music and sound design by John Gromada. Lighting design by Rui Rita.
Running time: 2 hours plus one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and selected Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinee performances most Sundays and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through July 5.
Tickets: $23 — $66. Call 860-527-5151 or visit their website at www.hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Devon Abner … Son
Penny Fuller … Lucille
Lois Smith … Stella
Pat Bowie … Mildred
Arthur French … Doug
Gerald McRaney … Lewis
Keiana Richard … Cathleen
Maggie Lacey … Pauline
Hallie Foote … Mary Jo
Jenny Dare Paulin … Emily
Nicole Lowrance … Sissie
James DeMarse … Bob
Virginia Kull … Irene