Johnson simply stunning in New Ground Theatre's "Wit"
By Ruby Nancy, QUAD-CITY TIMES -- February 6, 2003

Drama is uncompromising in look at cancer

Margaret Edson’s drama, “Wit,” is a brief, stark, unsentimental presentation of a strong woman’s final battle with advanced ovarian cancer, and there’s not a single melodramatic moment in the play.

It’s still a three-hanky show.

Vivian Bearing’s lonely struggle with the one adversary she cannot bend to her will is emotionally powerful stuff, and the script calls for Bearing (played with clean, superb skill by Corinne Johnson) to tell her own story in an uncompromising, occasionally sardonic way that just might blow you away. And you’ll laugh aloud sometimes as well.

Johnson’s usually soft-spoken style is not in evidence here, and she gives her portrayal of Bearing an ironic, hard-edged chutzpah that is very effective, yet leaves a place for vulnerability to show. She doesn’t look even close to Bearing’s age (50), but you’ll forgive Johnson that, since her simply stunning performance will, well, stun you with its sheer emotional authenticity.

This is fantastic interpretation of equally fantastic writing, and this production — directed ably by Lora Adams — will give you a new appreciation of both. Stamina matters in a show like this, since Johnson is a constant presence on stage throughout the show (and it has no intermission). She is the show, and deserves credit for most of what makes “Wit” really work.

But she still has plenty of help. Adams has assembled a topnotch supporting cast and plenty of first-rate tech, too. Craig Michaels is particularly excellent as Dr. Posner, a cancer researcher whose bedside manner is as flinty as Bearing’s classroom persona once was. As Susie Monahan, an oncology nurse, Stephanie Massick also does fabulous work.

Rather than portraying Susie as someone who develops an especially close relationship with Bearing, Massick leaves you with the impression that Monahan simply treats all her patients with basic compassion — which makes the contrast between this character and the other health care professionals on this stage all the more profound.

Fluid lighting (designed by Eric Behnke) and wonderful sound design (by Susan Dragon McDonald) are subtle, invaluable elements that help make the show such a winner, and a fine supporting ensemble provides a backdrop of technicians, medical residents, students and more.

Except for X-ray machine effects, the stills and video projected behind the stage didn’t add much — perhaps because Johnson’s on-stage presence was just so riveting — but the audiovisual projections likewise didn’t detract from the drama’s pace.

One of two truly great shows I saw last weekend, “Wit” is simply to good to miss. So don’t.

If you go
“Wit” by New Ground Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m. today-Saturday, Feb. 8; 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9
Where: Becherer Hall, Rivermont Collegiate (formerly St. Katharine’s/St. Mark’s), 1821 Sunset Drive, Bettendorf
How much: $12. $10 students/senior citizens
Information: (563) 326-7529.

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