Ixion captivates with another dark family drama

Hot on the heels of its thrilling production of “The Pillowman,” Ixion Ensemble Theatre’s latest show, “Kindness,” is another dark look at the complexity of familial relationships and how far one might go to save a loved one from an inevitable fate. 

Maryanne (Maureen Sawdon) is fighting a losing battle with cancer and has planned a last hurrah weekend in New York City with her teenage son, Dennis (Kyan Camarillo), to see a Broadway musical. After they arrive, though, a sullen Dennis changes his mind about going to the show, and Maryanne instead invites Herman (Ralph Sims), a cab driver she has befriended. 

After Maryanne leaves for the play, Dennis is visited by the beautiful and mysterious Frances (Rachel Mender). Frances is hiding out while executing some scheme, and Dennis is easily maneuvered into being her accomplice. She is charismatic and forthright, challenging Dennis’s ennui. By revealing her own dark thoughts, she pokes and prods him into admitting that he has thought about killing his mother, and from that moment on, the tension slowly builds. 

Camarillo captures the complex feelings of a teenager juggling much more than a young man should. With an absent father and a terminally ill mother, Dennis is stuck in the present, unable or unwilling to think about his future. He is at times moody and resentful of the situation his mother has put him in, yet he is obviously concerned and protective of her. 

As Frances, Mender is the perfect foil for Dennis. She fills the small hotel room with vivacious energy as she struts around in her little black dress. She takes over the space, snooping through Maryanne’s belongings as she snoops into Dennis’s mind. When Frances meets Maryanne in the second act, Mender does a fantastic job of exhibiting her character’s disdain for the woman. Although this plot point isn’t explained, it is still intriguing to watch Frances play cat to mousy Maryanne.

In his review of the 2008 premiere of the play for NJ.com, critic Michael W. Sommers referred to Frances as “an edgy Holly Golightly sort of charmer.” That analogy is a bit off. Rather, Frances is a Holly Godarkly. At first, she comes across as an intriguing lost soul, but there is an undercurrent to her actions that suggests she is looking for souls to steal. That ambiguity is what makes this production compelling. 

In the second act, Frances tells a heartbreaking story to explain her behavior and seems to show a hint of true empathy for the target of her scheme. Yet keen eyes will notice a few subtle actions that suggest she is setting Dennis up to take the fall for her, and the pathway she sets him upon will have lifelong repercussions. 

 “Kindness” does have some weaknesses. The pace is uneven at times, and Herman is a somewhat underutilized or underwritten character. Additionally, there are unanswered questions about Frances’ motives as she manipulates Dennis. Despite those shortcomings, the slowly building tension of the plot and the energy that Mender brings to Frances make the show a captivating experience.