Terrence McNally loves peeking behind the scenes, and he’s made arcane subjects widely accessible. His best-known play, 1995’s “Master Class,” is about the prickly relationship between a retired diva and her voice students. Last year’s “Golden Age” was set during opening night of the 1835 opera “I Puritani.”
But McNally’s new comedy, “And Away We Go,” is a valentine to theater aimed at card-carrying members of the Drama Club — people who smile knowingly at a reference to former Cowardly Lion Bert Lahr playing Beckett in Florida.
If, on the other hand, you can’t tell your Chekhov from your Molière, it’s time to fire up Hulu.
“And Away We Go” time-travels to look at theatrical milestones performed by various repertory companies — the hard-working foot soldiers who keep the classics alive.
That is, in fact, the Pearl Theatre Company’s mission, and McNally wrote the play for the Pearl as a 30th-anniversary gift.
Sandra Goldmark’s set brings a sprawling backstage area to the forefront. It’s filled with racks of costumes, shelves packed with props, dozens of different lamps, and the sort of large table used for cast readings.
Meanwhile, the six actors — most of them members of the Pearl’s ensemble — are in street clothes, no matter what country or century they’re in.
And the action certainly wanders around. We start in 458 B.C. Athens (Greek tragedy), then segue to 1610 London (Shakespeare’s Globe), 1789 Versailles (French comedy), 1896 Moscow (Chekhov) and 1956 Florida (the American premiere of “Waiting for Godot”).
Throughout, McNally drops quips both celebrating his art and gently mocking it.
When an Athenian mentions that a theater has perfect acoustics, another sniffs that “perfect acoustics are a myth started by people who sit in the best seats.”
Or: “There are no mistakes in the theater, only disasters,” one of the Globe thespians declares.
The general idea is that love for the stage transcends the centuries, and rep groups fulfill a key role in keeping the flame alive.
Still, while the cast is fine, it also tends to be workmanlike. The show, directed by Jack Cummings III, praises the ensemble vibe, but some star turns would have certainly spiced things up, especially in the clumsy French scenes.
The constant rah-rah spirit also gets a bit annoying — few people are as convinced of their calling’s importance as actors.
In the end, the best love letter to the theater simply is . . . a good play.