Vigil

Kemp visits his Aunt Grace after 30 years because he receives a letter from her saying she is dying.  He has a sense of nostalgia of his childhood and in a way, staying with his Aunt helps him reminisce because she was part of that past.

Aunt Grace is played by Olympia Dukakis who is priceless in this role because she hardly says a word except at the end of the play.  The remainder of the time, she shrugs, makes faces and gestures. 

He at first sits with her, but then weeks and then months pass by and she seems to be getting better.  He then schemes ways to kill her and it is hilarious as she “dodges the bullet”.  I got it after a while.  She really isn’t his Aunt, but didn’t want to tell him because she liked the company.  His real Aunt was the strange woman he kept noticing across the street who always sat by the window as if she were waiting for someone.  At the end, he realizes that he has found home and they both “adopt” one another.

We definitely enjoyed it.  We don’t know if another actress would have provided the impact that Olympia had provided with her performance with just her body language and no dialog.  Great play.