Playwright Matt Murray has set his Myth of the Ostrich in the cluttered basement apartment liberally decorated with post-it notes to herself of freelance and free-spirited Boston writer Holly. Holly is confronting writer’s block and is on the phone with her publisher discussing in highly colorful language possibly writing another book. 

The call is ended by an unexpected visitor. Pam has recently moved to Boston from Wisconsin with her lawyer husband and her 15-year-old son Evan. Evan has befriended in their high school Holly’s 16-year-old daughter Jodie. Pam has discovered hidden under his mattress a letter Evan has written to Jodie with inappropriate content. She has come to meet Holly to learn more about the relationship between their two young people. This conversation faces many difficulties. Strait-laced Pam is a member of the Catholic Women’s League, an arch-conservative, and has always been the good daughter and wife. Holly refuses to read the letter and like any good liberal lectures Pam on respecting kids’ privacy.

Holly’s friend Cheryl arrives bearing a gift of baked sweets and an even more extreme take on life as she ponders the mystery of the missing condom that played a role in her latest sexual encounter. She is a total opposite to  Pam. In the middle stands staunchly liberal writer Holly who tries to keep things on an even keel. Is that even possible?

Holly and Cheryl appear to know more about the teen-agers than does Pam, and they are very careful not to reveal anything to Pam, resorting to fictitious inventions when needed. They get help in keeping her in the dark because, though Cheryl had not offered her cookies to the gathering, Pam had sneaked one while the others were out of the room. Whether Cheryl was using an Alice B. Toklas recipe I do not know, but Pam seemed to have moved into her own delightful world, to which she welcomed the others.

Myth of the Ostrich needs a director who does comedy well but also finds a way of reminding us that serious matters are here. At Upstream the play had such a director in Jane Paradise. She had a cast who brought such skills to their performances. Some years ago I saw Pamela Reckamp in a play done by a company of young actors, and I thought she was the only one of them who really understood what the play was about and how to play it. She is still that good as Cheryl at Upstream. Now she is joined by Wendy Renée Greenwood’s Holly and Jennelle Gilreath Owens’ Pam who are equally good.

Patrick Huber’s set gives the cast a fine playroom for their excesses. Costume Designer Michelle Friedman Siler has given the cast a wittily appropriate variety of costumes. Dennis Chavez makes surprisingly effective light changes. Ellie Schwetye designed the sound. Lauren Roth was the crucial dialect coach for the US version of a Canadian play that used upper class Boston speech, Southie Boston speech, and Wisconsin speech. Rachel Seabaugh managed properties, Max Florida was the Scenic Painter, and Alexis Peterson managed the wardrobe and assisted the Stage Manager. Patrick Siler is the Production Stage Manager and Gus Kickham is the Production Manager. Tessa Renken operates the board, Monica Roscoe manages the house, Brian Macke is the Master Carpenter and Jamey Pearson the Master Electrician. Graphic Art/Website are by Sleepy Kitty/Paige Brubeck.

Enjoy Upstream Theatre’s Myth of the Ostrich. Keep your head out of the sand.

—Bob WilcoxPhoto by Patrick Huber
From the left, Renée Greenwood as Holly, Jennelle Gilreath Owen as Pam, and Pamela Reckamp as Cheryl in Myth of the Ostrich.