Becky’s New Car, Steven Dietz’s 2008 domestic comedy that David Ellenstein has chosen to open the North Coast Repertory Theatre’s 29th season, is a maddeningly quirky play from an author who lives to write maddeningly quirky plays. Mr. Dietz, whose subjects have ranged from neo-Nazi cells to AIDS victims to 9/11 terrorists, writes frequently about marital infidelity and its aftereffects. Becky’s New Car continues his exploration of infidelity, and while there’s some strain in the storytelling there’s lots of humor as well.

Carla Harting and Mark Pinter

Photo by Aaron Rumley

Set in Seattle and environs (Mr. Dietz has written a good deal for regional theatre companies in the Pacific Northwest), the play envisions a middle class household where Becky Foster (Carla Harting), wife to roofing contractor Joe (Nicolas Glaeser) and mother to perpetual student Chris (Kevin Koppman-Gue) is suddenly given a chance to escape her ordinary home and her oppressive job at an automobile dealership and try out a new and potentially more exciting life. While working late at the dealership, Becky is approached by a handsome, wealthy, and somewhat clueless stranger named Walter Flood (Mark Pinter). Mistaking Becky for a widow and still mourning the loss of his own wife, Walter embarks on a gentleman’s romantic quest. Becky decides to play along, with predictably disastrous, though also quite humorous, results.

Act 1 drags a bit as it sets up Becky’s desire for a more fulfilling life, and what both impels and constrains her from that life. A side trip into a second man’s grief—that of Becky’s co-worker, Steve (Mueen Jahan), whose beloved fell to her death while hiking—goes on too long, even though it sets up an Act 2 payoff. Mr. Dietz also has Becky speak directly to audience members and the stage crew at several points. Some of these conversations are funny, but others seemed strained (warning: if you’re seated in the first couple of rows you’re a prime target to become part of the show).

Act 2 shifts the action to Walter’s San Juan Islands estate and introduces two additional characters, Walter’s daughter, Kensington (Stacey Hardke) and Ginger (Glynn Bedington), an heiress whose trust fund has been depleted. Some too-facile clues are dropped early on, and these clues give away how the rest of the Foster family will eventually become involved and Becky’s fantasy will unravel. Even so, the plotting is tighter and the laughs stronger than in Act 1, and the denouement, while conventional, is still surprisingly touching.

If Mr. Dietz has written a less-than-perfect play, Mr. Ellenstein and his extremely well-chosen cast give it a production to be proud of. Despite some opening night jitters, Ms. Harting provided a strong central presence, Mr. Glaeser proved to be a surprisingly sympathetic husband, and Mr. Koppman-Gue moved easily from playing a gawky 16-year-old in Diversionary’s Speech and Debate to playing a 26-year-old in love with showing off his graduate school knowledge. Mr. Dietz’s quirky secondary characters make his plays interesting, and Mr. Jahan, Ms. Hardke, and Ms. Bedington did not disappoint. And, Mr. Pinter, a daytime drama veteran, walked away with the show as the befuddled yet beguiling Walter.

The mostly veteran NCRT technical crew (Marty Burnett for scenic design, Matt Novotny for lighting design, Chris Leussmann for sound design, Annie Bornhurst for props and set dressing, and Aaron Rumley, stage manager and production manager) worked with the limitations of the space to produce the same fluidity of design that Mr. Ellenstein achieved with his staging. A special shout out is due to Sonia Lerner, a San Diego State MFA student, who made an auspicious local theatre debut designing costumes.

The play was commissioned by Charles Staadecker as a birthday present for his wife, Benita. The Staadeckers became so enamored with the result that they have been present at opening night of each new production. They continued this tradition at NCRT and were clearly enjoying themselves.

In the end, Becky does, indeed, get a new car. You’ll have to see the show to find out whether she gets a new life, though.

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