Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

"Time goes by so fast. Nothin' can outrun it. Death commences too early -- almost before you're half-acquainted with life -- you meet the other." Tennessee Williams' words as spoken by Big Daddy encompass a lot of what human existence brings to the table, and is often never expressed so eloquently as in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

Epic Theatre's latest offering, and the first this season, is a bold opening. But Williams' work must be seen, and for those that aren't familiar with this work, which Williams openly admitted was his personal favorite, is a night of exciting dramatic performances. Maggie (Kerry Giorgi) and Brick (David Sackal) are married. She is beautiful; intelligent and wistful, he's equally beautiful, a former football star, in shape and, unfortunately, now an alcoholic.

You see, Big Daddy (Eric Behr) is dying, everyone in the family knows it, except for Big Daddy himself, and his wife Big Mamma (Michelle L. Walker). Gooper (Justin Paige) and wife Mae (Stephanie Traversa) know that Gooper's father is terminal, and they want a really large piece of his money and land. A huge plantation in the Deep South and millions are good restitution for the forgotten first son. Brick is the favorite, and Gooper and Mae aren't taking any chances. After all, if Brick's hit the bottle, why should he get anything?

When the news of Big Daddy's illness is finally revealed by Doctor Baugh (Justin Pimentel) to Big Mamma, and Brick lets it slip out to the patriarch himself, all hell breaks loose, much to the horror of family friend Reverend Tooker (Jason Quinn). Williams' clever dialogue is so well delivered by this cast it seems rather naturalistic, if not casually rendered. The accents of the Southern states are present here, but you couldn't say the word "mendacity" without a drawl, I think. Kira Hawkridge at the helm utilizes her diverse cast to good measure, and just short of two hours in length breezes by.

In supporting roles, both Pimentel and Quinn are excellent, but neither has very much to do. Traversa's Mae is self-assured, bitchy, and gives a solid performance. Paige as Gooper is the yin to Brick's yang, and he handles this deftly. But the four leads set the tone: We meet Giorgi and Sackal immediately, doing a bizarre ballet of physical contact, highlighting their marital dysfunction. This reviewer has seen Giorgi in other shows, and she is a versatile performer, Sackal is excellent and almost heart-wrenching in his portrayal as the broken Brick.

Walker as Big Mamma starts in the background quietly, but when her family is threatened, she shines in a strong performance. Behr as Big Daddy shows the chops to hold this family together, and he shines as well when it's revealed that he's been lied to. Epic's Theatre 82 space is sparse, but again, when the show is strong, you really don't need a flashy set.

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" runs through January 28 at Epic Theatre Company, 82 Rolfe Square, Cranston, RI 02910. For information or tickets, call 401-490-9475 or visit www.artists-exchange.org/epictheatrecompany