Chester Bailey--Intriguing and Superbly Acted

     By Joseph Cervelli

Before the intriguing and exceptionally well acted (a standout performance by Ephraim Birney playing with his real life dad Reed Birney) "Chester Bailey" begins you hear the first two verses of the classic "Haunted Heart" by the popular singer of the late 30's through the 50's Jo Stafford. The memorable lyrics fit the mood of this new work by Joseph Dougherty at the Irish Repertory Theatre.

The action takes place in a hospital room in 1945 on Long Island. The always excellent set designer John Lee Beatty utilizes a turntable stage to create other locations. I especially was taken with what looks convincingly like overhead steel beams representing Penn Station. 

Ephraim Birney plays the title character, a good looking young man in his 20's, mostly in his hospital room.  Interestingly in a few scenes  you don't quite see his hands for the pajamas and robe seem a bit overlong. There is a reason for this. The other character in the play is Dr. Philip Cotton (an always perfect Reed Birney) a psychiatrist who is assigned Chester's case. 

Right from the onset you find Chester very likable young man wanting to enlist in the army during wartime. But as he tells it, his parents were very much against his serving  and his dad got him to work as a riveter in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He was despondent when he was convinced his girlfriend dropped him only because he was not in the service. We really don't know the real reason for her breaking up with him if indeed that was. But Chester likes to convince himself so. Unfortunately, a horrific violent  incident takes place at work and the young man loses his hands, one ear and becomes totally blind something which Chester refuses to believe. This is what makes this play so compelling. How could Chester even try to live any kind of life he he refuses to believe that he is now incapable of his once normal life. He spends the time convincing the Dr. Cotton that he can see and still has hands. The young actor is amazing at the resilience he puts forward in the character. There is once scene near the end when he lets out a kind of primal scream that is heartbreakingly real. 

At the same time, Cotton has his own issues. Married with one daughter he finds out about his wife's infidelity. He also has fallen in love with the director of the hospital's wife. He wants there to be more but knows it is just an affair. He appears to be a very unhappy man and what makes him feel even worse is his inability as a doctor to convince Chester that he indeed has been severely damaged. Until that happens he cannot help him. There are various techniques he uses to convince Chester to accept his fate which don't work. 

Beautifully directed by Ron Lagomarsino he is able to show how much alike these two men are in terms of personal relationships and emotions. When the doctor makes a debatable decision at the play's conclusion, you are not sure if it is in the best interest of his patient. But certainly one that will remain with you.

Ephraim Birney is so effortless in his portrayal of this conflicted soul who  beams as he thinks about the young woman he saw working at Penn Station and then the anger when the reality of his condition is somethingwhich he will not accept.  His mood changes are so convincingly done. 

As always the very fine Reed Birney shows his emotion in a more low keyed fashion. There was one moment that was very easy to miss. He was thinking about one romantic time with his superior's wife and just has a bittersweet smile with his mouth slightly open thinking about that special time. 

This is a slow moving play but never dull with both monologues and dialogue between both characters, but the two actors make it work completely. I especially look forward to more stage roles for the younger Birney. He truly is unforgettable. 

Photos: Carol Rosegg

Tickets are available at the Irish Repertory Theatre 132 West 22nd Street.