Photo by K. Nowosad
As a part of their mission, Premiere Stages at Kean is committed to supporting emerging and regional playwrights by developing and producing new plays. One of the ways they do this is through their Premiere Play Festival. The Festival offers playwrights the opportunity to develop their work in an encouraging, focused environment through discussions, rehearsals, readings, workshops, and Equity productions. After reviewing several hundred submissions, this year's selection is The Mallard by Vincent Delaney.
I had a chance to speak with The Mallard‘s Director, John Wooten. He provided information about several elements of this play which stand out. He said that it has an important topic. Additionally, the comedy that Playwright Delaney incorporates into the story is also significant. There is no doubt that this play is a winner because of those two elements. In fact, it is one of the funniest and best produced shows I have seen this year.
What Is that Important Topic?
The important topic in this play is the state of our education system as it relates to attitudes towards the LGBTQ community. The plot revolves around two female teachers who teach 2nd and 3rd grades in a small town. Freya (Susan Ferrara) and Gillian (Jennifer Leigh Houston) are married to each other and they have not hidden it. Now, the town’s Board of Education has taken their jobs from them. They have been exemplary educators so the prejudice behind the action is evident.
Victoria Pollack, Susan Ferrara and Jennifer Leigh Houston. Photo by Mike Peters.
They expect a foreclosure on their house and are running out of money. As this realization hits them, they prepare to sell off some things at a yard sale.
The Yard Sale
The set for The Mallard is well designed to give the audience a good look at what is for sale. There are tables set up with items that are not worth much to an onlooker but worth a lot to the ones selling those items. Tupperware from days past is readily available along with other little knickknacks. There is a clothing rack with one item that the ladies feel will bring a good price: a nurse’s uniform from years ago.
Although there are plenty of items that should draw a crowd, they also offer some unique appetizers for meat lovers which are free. The inclusion and description of these appetizers is a humorous moment in the play.
Hidden on one of the tables, is a wooden mallard resembling the style of a duck decoy. When Freya spots it, she tells Gillian that she will not allow it to be sold. The mallard was something of sentimental value from her father. It indicated his acceptance of her and she feels close to it.
Finally, two people arrive at the sale. Davis (Woodrow Proctor) and Reagan (Victoria Pollack) initially appear to be average yard sale shoppers. What Freya and Gillian do not know is that these two are yard sale fanatics who search endlessly for items of high value but low price at a sale.
Woodrow Proctor and Victoria Pollack. Photo by Mike Peters.
They spot the mallard on the table and immediately recognize it as a priceless antique duck decoy. It is known as the Horace Crandall Mallard with a value of $2 million.
The Mallard Become an Item of Big Interest
As the play goes on, David and Reagan’s previous history of searching for this antique comes out and now the comedy really begins. Their monetary offers to buy the mallard go up and it gets Gillian a bit suspicious. Not that it is worth $2M but she feels they can probably get a tidy sum of a few hundred dollars.
Davis and Reagan have a rival in their yard sale searches who up to now has a record of always beating them out. Enter Morley (Eddie Gouveia Blackman) who resides in the area. As soon as he spots the mallard, he knows what it is worth and he gets involved in trying to buy it too.
Eddie Gouveia Blackman and Woodrow Proctor. Photo by Mike Peters.
To disclose much more of the plot would be doing a disservice to those who come to see this play. Suffice it to say that all the characters are well written by Vincent Delaney. The dialog and action for each character is very funny and touching as well. Much comes out about good and bad parts of human nature and the ending is quite satisfying.
It is no wonder that this well written and well presented play won the 2024 Premiere Play Festival. I look forward to seeing it presented in other locations. But until that time, thank you Premiere Stages at Kean for a remarkable show.
Go to See The Mallard
The Mallard runs at Kean University’s Bauer Boucher Theatre from July 17 through August 3, 2025. To learn more about this play or to purchase tickets, visit the Premiere Stages website. The run time is just about 2 hours.
Parking is free and is only a short walk into the theater. The campus atmosphere is lovely this time of year so go out to the show and enjoy!
Photo by K. Nowosad
