What a spectacular little gem of a show the Speakeasy Stage Company has bestowed upon us with their holiday offering, Reckless by Craig Lucas.  Without a hint of irony, Reckless manages to offer true manifestations of holiday emotions, joy, thankfulness, forgiveness, fear, loneliness- all without being preachy or hokey.  With colorful and imaginative set dressings and whimsical costumes, the set is perfectly staged for an all-star Boston cast to weave an alternative to the traditional Christmas tale for their audience.

Reckless is an odyssey story, following Rachel (played flawlessly by Marianna Bassham whom I recently raved about in The Little Black Dress) through half a lifetime of Christmases.  Part Cinderella, part Alice in Wonderland, Rachel meets a host of characters that all proffer bits of wisdom or ill upon her as she makes her way from Springfield, MA on a world-wind tour of Springfield’s across the Nation.  Fleeing her husband Tom (Barlow Adamson) who sets the story in motion by putting a hit out on her life, Rachel takes a ride from dowdy Lloyd (Larry Coen) and ends up being taken in by him and his deaf (or so we think), paraplegic wife, Pooty (Kerry A Dowling, a Speakeasy veteran who I have loved since seeing her as Meredith in Bat Boy).  An unfortunate reappearance of Rachel’s husband sends her off again, encountering a host of characters brought to life with style by the fantastic ensemble (Will McGarrahan, Sandra Heffley, Paula Plum who rocked the stage earlier this season in The Savannah Disputation, and Karl Baker Olson who I am already growing quite fond of after his impeccably acted teenage gigolo in The Little Black Dress).  Caught between hysterical laughter and inexplicable tears, this show could not have been more thoughtfully cast or artfully acted.

It is so easy to fall into familiar trappings during the holiday season.  The list of Christmas Carols and Nutcrackers are a mile long, and even though there is something to be said for a customary Christmas tradition, there is something even more magical about getting a little treat from an unexpected tale.  I really was touched by Reckless.  In addition to the wonderfully acted story, the choreographed moments were exceptionally moving.  From the playful chase scene at the beginning of the piece, to the heart rending moment Rachael ends up living on the street- the sound-scape and the lighting are absolutely stunning.  The white bed sheets from a motel bed transition magically into a sheet of ice, and not unlike the legendary Eliza from Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Rachel glides across the stage while the audience remains breathless.  Scenic Designer, Cristina Todesco, Lighting Designer, Karen Perlow, and Sound Designer, Dewey Dellay, are owed a completely separate standing ovation for their teamwork on this show.  It felt a little bit like being inside a magical snow globe, even though we kept getting shaken up, it was so beautiful we hardly minded.

Reckless is everything you could want in a playful, avant-garde piece.  Speakeasy got it right.  Director Scott Edmiston gave us time to warm up to the unusual landscape before throwing too many punches at us.  We were invested in the characters long before it got too strange to understand.  We went on a journey where suspension of disbelief was not only possible, but embraced, nurtured and explored.  What a wonderful show to share with a loved one this holiday season.  Thank you Speakeasy, I feel like I’ve received my first Christmas gift, a little early.

A Ghost from Christmas Past – Rachel (Marianna Bassham, center) gets a surprise visitor on Christmas Eve (Photo: Mark L. Saperstein.)