World premiere of ‘The Heartbeat of the Sun’ is a well-done showcase for Billie McBride and Anne Oberbroeckling

The Heartbeat of the Sun, a new play by Colorado playwright Melissa Lucero McCarl is an emotionally charged play featuring two accomplished and gifted actors, Billie McBride, and Anne Oberbroeckling.

The Cherry Creek Theatre world premiere is now up at the Mizel Center in Denver, is a journey that will touch your heart — a tribute to the theatre and those who call it home.

Directed by Patrick Elkins-Zeglarski, McCarl’s play was written especially for these two well-known Colorado actors. We are introduced to these lifelong friends Althea (McBride) and Bea (Oberbroeckling), who are reliving their theatrical past. The two women, who have shared a bond for over 50 years, engage in a comfortable conversation — often with the aid of potent gummies and alcohol — while evoking a sense of shared history and nostalgia.

Throughout the first act, the women recount some of their favorite roles and the acclaim they received when playing Viola in Twelfth Night or Saint Joan. They also discuss the potential hallucinogenic cheese that they have consumed while it becomes increasingly clear that Bea is suffering from an as-yet unnamed medical condition.

The artists as young women

Along the way, we are introduced to young Althea (Maggy Stacy) and young Bea (Lorraine Larocque), shifting the focus from the current day to their previous lives in New York City as they maneuver through the minefield of show business. The first act ends with the young women recounting the production of A Chorus Line as it opened on Broadway nearly half a century ago.

In Act Two, the audience is treated to master acting classes involving all four of the women. It’s a unique treat to see how actors are coached for their performances, and this is an interesting segment. However, as the act progresses, we start to fully understand the nature of Bea’s condition and that it is one she has suffered with for an extended period. As she quickly slides downhill, the process of death and dying is explored until the end is reached.

Finally, we are introduced to Javier (Daevon Robinson), who visits Althea after Bea’s death with a special announcement regarding his life’s trajectory. This announcement would have thrilled Bea and made her incredibly proud. The final moments allow for deep reflection about life and the beauty of close relationships as the curtain falls.

A custom-made script

As McCarl describes in the program, it was destiny that she wrote a play for two of her favorite real-life actors. From start to finish, it is indeed a love letter to McBride and Oberbroeckling, but with such a proclamation comes potential missteps. While each scene stands independently, a distinct through-line supporting the action forward is missing except during the second act and Bea’s illness. Lucero McCarl has written five exciting characters that all stand on their own but need a greater sense of purpose. That aside, the play works on many levels, and McCarl has fashioned a piece that resonates with her initial concept of writing for two great actors.

All the performances are exemplary. Having McBride and Oberbroeckling share the same stage in a new play written primarily for them is a great gift. Each actor moves effortlessly from moment to moment, never missing a beat. It is clear why the playwright would focus on these two women, both as actors and characters. In the roles of young Althea and young Bea, Stacy and Larocque give solid performances that anchor the play’s action nicely. Robinson, as Javier, infuses the play’s final moments with strength and clarity.

Director Elkins-Zeglarski has captured the beauty and warmth of a meaningful friendship that has lasted many years. Each moment in the play thoughtfully acknowledges the intertwining of Althea and Bea’s lives, both in the present and the past. Finding many nuances throughout, Elkins-Zeglarski refrains from putting McBride and Oberbroeckling on a proverbial pedestal. Still, his direction gives them the shining moment in the spotlight they deserve.

Using a nearly bare stage, Scenic Designer Tina Anderson and Lighting Designer Emily A. Maddox create an atmosphere that offers a warm performance space creating clear focus for the play and the actors. The costume design by Nicole M. Harrison is tasteful and appropriate.  A special acknowledgment goes to Kia Heafner for prop design for unique pieces that move the script along, especially for the Bea character.

New plays are always welcome, especially world premieres. Kudos to Cherry Creek Theatre for bringing The Heartbeat of the Sun to the community and giving it a well-deserved platform. It is a solid production that features gold-star performances and direction. The cherry on top from Cherry Creek is getting to see a show with two of Colorado’s most gifted actors, Billie McBride and Anne Oberbroeckling. Don’t miss it!