“Happy Days” arrive at McKinney Avenue

Shelley Tharp-Payton is delightfully unreserved about her new role as the tenacious Winnie in Samuel Beckett’s comedy, “Happy Days”, which opened at the Kitchen Dog Theatre Saturday.

“If I could only learn the thing,” Tharp-Payton joked.

Essentially a two act monologue, The Washington Post dubbed the heroine of the 1961 drama as “the sort or role that actresses covet and then fret over.” The absurdist play involves Winnie, buried in the ground to her waist, inexorably following the daily routine of life with the help of a few possessions. Her husband Willie (played by David Middleman), is behind the mound and on rare occasion is heard replying to her monologue.

Tharp-Payton, SMU alumna and visiting professor of voice and speech at Meadows, acknowledges the risk involved with such a character.

“This play involves absurd circumstances,” she said. “The big thing about Winnie is that she is an eternal optimist, and gains a lot of self-validity through what she could say and how she could say it.”

As for herself, Tharp-Payton does not share Winnie’s optimism, but connects with the character on a deeper level. According to Tharp-Payton, “We have some similarities in spirit.”

Although a bit heavy-handed, she is confident the play can be understood on a very general level since the play is such a bold, two character struggle.

“It’s not an abysmal, heavy, dark play,” she said. “There is a lot of humor, and I think that everyone that sees it will come away with some real good things to talk about.”

Bobbi Masters, the play’s director, agrees.

“It will give [SMU students] things to think about,” Masters said. “It’s abstract enough where there is plenty of interpretation for different people. There is something in it for everyone.”

Masters also said that she has total confidence in Tharp-Payton.

“Shelley is one of the most talented actresses I’ve ever worked with. It’s such a demanding role, and since she is buried she must incorporate interesting things like extra eye movements. It’s very challenging.”

As for being a professional actor and an active professor, Tharp-Payton said her experiences in the “real world” are rewarding for her students.

“It’s important for students to have contact with working actors,” she said. “It’s all one process, and you never reach a plateau where you say, ‘I’m here; I’m good.’ There are always different genres, shows, and styles that expand your skills as an actor.”

But the exchange has gone both ways. SMU students Amanda Embry and Jake Brown helped in the production of “Happy Days” on sound, set and costume design.

“Happy Days” runs until Sunday, Oct. 13 at the Kitchen Dog Theatre on McKinney Avenue, a place known for its unconventional productions. According to Tharp-Payton and Masters, “Happy Days” should fit right in.

“[Kitchen Dog] produces theatre that makes you think about who you are and what your life is about, and how you fit in with society and the rest of the world,” Tharp-Payton said. “A big thrust of it is that our existence gets attached to things and actions versus the people we spend our time with. It’s a life lesson.”