Review: Tragedy and Community Make for Laughter, Stirring Drama in 'The Revlon Girl'

"The Revlon Girl," presented by The Players, is one of the year's best shows, a haunting and thought-provoking drama exploring the aftermath of unimaginable tragedy.

Playwright Neil Anthony Docking places fictional characters in the middle of a real-life disaster. In 1966, 144 people died following a mine collapse in the tiny Welsh village of Aberfan. 116 of the dead were children, many in a school.

Eight months later, five women gather in a room above a hotel bar.
Sian (Betsy Rinaldi) is seemingly happy go lucky. She is very welcoming of their stylish guest, a makeup and beauty consultant known only as Revlon (Julia Curtin).

The deeply superstitious Marilyn (Rachel Nadeau) is sleep deprived, and believes the tragedy could have been prevented. Marilyn is haunted by the thought that she could have saved her children if only she hadn't gone to the store to buy cigarettes that fateful morning.

Brash and cynical Rona (Colleen Stewart) expresses tremendous anger in a series of observations marked with profanity. The prospect of her fellow townspeople paying for a new public swimming pool fills her with rage.

The devoutly religious Jean (Sarah Quintiliani) is reminded of her dead son when she tries on some of Revlon's makeup. She wonders what he would have done with his life. At one point, she is asked if her pregnancy is merely an attempt to replace one child with another.

Under the skilled direction of Lynne Collinson and Karen Besson, the all-female ensemble creates richly layered characterizations, but the real standout is Rinaldi. It turns out Sian has been putting on a metaphorical "happy face" to mask deep sadness over the loss of her child and the emotional coldness of her husband. Rinaldi slowly peels back the layers of Sian's pain to reveal why she is in need of Revlon's advice. It's a real tour de force.

Revlon's charmed life results in some bitter jealousy from the women, especially Rona. Curtin has a terrific scene when Revlon shares the reason why she feels compelled to help women look more beautiful.

"The Revlon Girl" has a lot to say about the nature of grief and how it impacts relationships. There's a spirited discussion concerning the monetary compensation from the coal company to the victims of the disaster. How much money can make up for the loss of a human being? And, more important, was the greed of the coal company to blame for what happened?

If this seems like an unspeakably depressing experience, it is not. The dialogue includes plenty of humor to lighten the tension. The women make frequent references to a leaky skylight and Revlon's expensive car, trivial matters in light of what they have all endured. They bicker and snipe at each other the way anyone would do when they're dealing with pent-up energy.

In the end, the women realize they are more alike than they first realized. They can laugh, they can cry, and they can grow from their pain. The tremendous acting talent on display here makes for an unforgettable night of theater.

"The Revlon Girl" runs through December 15 at The Players at Barker Playhouse, 400 Benefit St., Providence, RI. Running time is 85 minutes with no intermission. For tickets, visit playersri.org.