The Hired Man Is Not what You Expect It to Be, It’s Better! At The Crane Theater From Theatre Pro Rata

The Hired Man is a show that could be easily spoiled, so I’m going to try and tiptoe around things a bit. Know that this modern-day tale told on a cattle ranch in Wyoming owes as much to Greek tragedy as it does to the Western. And it’s both of those things in their most soap-opera way. That might sound like a dig, but it isn’t; I really enjoyed this one. You may think you know where the story will head at the beginning, but believe me, you don’t. This is like one of Shakespeare’s comedies where everyone loves someone who loves somebody else, or thinks they do.

The story opens with Tim and Ellen, two young folks. He’s 23 and the hired hand on Ellen’s grandfather Hank’s ranch; she is 18 and graduating soon from high school. Tim is falling in love with Ellen, and since he’s already like a member of the family, hopes that he and Ellen will end up working the ranch together once Hank is gone. Ellen is just having fun. They are caught in a compromising position by Hank, who punches Tim, fires him, and tells him to get off his land.

Hank is left adrift, with nowhere to go and no job, and still pining for Ellen. Georgette, Hank’s girlfriend, is worried that if he can throw Tim out so fast, maybe he’ll turn on her too, and so she ups the pressure to get married. They have been together five years, and while she has a home in town, her life is out here on the ranch.

Hank hires a new hired man, or in this case, a woman, named Matty. She comes equipped with a guilty conscience in the form of Linda, whom we realize early on is only in her head, meaning she can see her but no one else can. Georgette is jealous of this hired woman; she doesn’t want another woman around the ranch when she’s trying to get Hank to commit. That’s just the setup, and I’m not going to reveal anything more plot-wise.

No one is an outright villain in this play, with the possible exception of Linda, who has nothing positive to say inside Matty’s head. all of the characters have their motivations and the actions they take a understandable.

The performances are strong. Bee Davis, apparently capable of anything, gives an alternatively playful and smoldering performance. She is the sex drive of the play, and yes, this play definitely has a sex drive. Hot off her performance as a rabbit in Watership Down and writing the beautiful songs for that show, here she brings a seductive energy that convincingly attracts both male and female characters, all while convincingly embodying an18 year old.

Phi Hamens Nelson brings a James Dean quality to the role of Tim. He’s vulnerable in his one-on-one moments with Davis, and he even shows the hurt he’s feeling at being thrown out when he’s trying to make his play at payback. We’ve seen Nelson in a smaller role with Theatre Pro Rata; it’s been nice to see him in meatier roles again here and in last summer’s Fringe show. Definitely one to watch, I definitely think he’s on the right path, and I hope to keep seeing him in more roles.

Jessica Winingham, whom I think I’ve only ever seen in the last Pro Rata production, is fantastic here again. I hope this means she’s living locally and we’ll see her in more things. She brings a toughness to Matty that fits the character of a female hired hand on a cattle ranch, but also shows a sweet side and a vulnerable side. And don’t forget the slightly crazy, talking-to-the-woman-in-your-head side. Every aspect of the character is played just right, from desperate embraces to dawning horror.

Andy Chambers and Jenny Ramirez, as Hank and Georgette, capture that “been together for a while” vibe perfectly, and it’s their scenes together that really sort of ground the play in a less melodramatic way. They feel real.

And what can I say about Wini Froelich? She nails it as the character you do not want to go home with when the bar closes. It is an excellent turn from a great character actor. Just watching her blow her cigarette smoke in Matty’s face is classic.

The set design by MJ Leffler looks great. I loved the bits of grass peeking out from every corner, the hay bales, the benches, it all set the sense of place nicely. The one downside, and I think this was the director’s choice, is that every time the scene changes, everyone in the cast moves pieces around the stage. They do it efficiently, but I’d prefer if they just left certain areas set up to be this location and that location a little more. It would benefit from half the number of set reconfigurations. Otherwise, I thought the direction was very strong.

I don’t often single out the intimacy and fight choreographers, but I think Annie Enneking, who handles both jobs in this show, did great work. There are several physical fights, and they were very well done. And the intimate scenes were also done in a way that the passion came through, but it didn’t feel exploitative.

I went in knowing nothing. I immediately assumed we would be watching a young forbidden-lovers tale once it started, and what I ended up with was very different. The denouement is truly unexpected and hits the audience perfectly.

The Hired Man runs through October 11th at the Crane Theater in NE Minneapolis. From more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreprorata.org/production-history/the-hired-man

I want to alert you faithful readers to a new Website that has just started up in the Twin Cities. It’s called 79 Seconds on Stage and it is a free and full guide to local theatre in the Twin Cities.

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