As the crowd entered the Baby Grand Theatre, Maude Gutman was on stage going about her day. As of the audience found their seats, she sat alone playing solitaire, sipping a drink, and letting out the occasional sigh. The lights were still on, but the show had already begun.
Bakersfield Mist is an engrossing dramedy. Grounded by two expert performances, the play raises questions about the arbitrary nature of societal divisions. Written by Stephen Sachs and directed by Jim Garrard, the Theatre Kingston production follows Gutman, played by Rosemary Doyle, who was recently fired from her bartending job and is convinced she owns an authentic Jackson Pollock painting.
Lionel Percy, an art expert and authenticator, played by Cassel Miles, travels from New York City to Maude’s California trailer home to determine the painting’s authenticity. Once there, the play explores societal differences including class and education, and how they pit people against each other.
It’s clear from their assumptions and jabs toward each other that Gutman and Percy come from radically different social backgrounds. Their differing worldviews clash as the play progresses, but the audience begins to see their similarities and authentic selves.
Doyle’s emphatic delivery portrays Gutman’s determination and resourcefulness, with a hint of sorrow below the surface. With the mannerisms of someone visibly uncomfortable, Miles portrays Percy’s attempts to stay composed and professional, but he gradually allows his emotions to unravel.
The two performers do a great job with what’s essentially a single 90-minute conversation. With their commitment and clear ion, Doyle and Miles make their characters feel grounded and layered. I didn’t see them as actors on a stage for a second throughout the production.
Writing and performing a play jumping between drama and comedy is no easy feat, but the cast pulls it off. The dialogue flows effortlessly from one topic to another while serving to reveal character at every turn.
The key to the comedic aspects working so well is that every bit of humour is rooted in character. The comedy doesn’t take away from the drama, enhancing it instead. The show lured me in with comedy, then shifted to drama when I least expected it.
On top of exploring societal differences and authenticity, the play emphasizes the importance of art as a means of self-expression, for both the artist and the viewer. Both Gutman and Percy project their dreams and their worldviews onto Gutman’s painting, even though its authenticity becomes disputed.
The play serves to reaffirm the importance of art in our everyday lives, whether someone is a world-renowned art expert like Percy, or someone who was planning on shooting holes in the painting before learning of its significance, like Gutman.
In the play’s program, Garrand asks whether it’s possible to change another person’s mind, or even our own. Through both the script and Garrand’s direction, the answer to this question is shown through genuine human connection.
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