"The Waverly Gallery" - by Kenneth Lonergan - City on a Hill Arts (Leominster, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: Scott Kurland as "Daniel" sits opposite Pamela Kathleen Hill as "Gladys" in a scene from Kenneth Lonergan's "THE WAVERLY GALLERY" from City on a Hill Arts now playing in Leominster, MA. through February 15, 2026. Photo Credit: Cassie Swartz)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
“She rang my doorbell, a lot. Sometimes I was nice to her. Sometimes I yelled at her. And she went to the gallery, almost every day."
- ("Daniel") / Kenneth Lonergan
City on a Hill Arts
Presents Deborah Kenneth Lonergan's
"THE WAVERLY GALLERY"
Written by Kenneth Lonergan
Directed by Jack Crory
Producer Debbie Moylan
Cast Includes: Lucas Cardwell as "Don," Pamela Kathleen Hill as "Gladys," Scott Kurland as "Daniel," Nathaniel Malone as "Howard," Chelsey Patriss as "Ellen."
Additional Creative Team:
Stage Manager & Sound Designer -Samantha deManbey; Lighting Designer - Matt Valeri; Costume Designer - Valerie Schillawski; Graphic Designer & Marketing Manager - Bethany Johnson.
Performances held at Congregation Agudat Achim, 268 Washington Street, Leominster, MA. 01453
Performances:
February 7, 2026 through February 15, 2026
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
TICKETS:
Free admission with donations welcome
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COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
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(Warning: The following review contains spoilers)
City on a Hill Arts (COH) starts the new year off with "THE WAVERLY GALLERY" - a play on a family’s struggle when a beloved family member is struck down with an Alzheimer's diagnosis.
Published in 2000 by Kenneth Lonergan, the story of "WAVERLY GALLERY" is told by the character of Daniel (Scott Kurland), a young man in his 20s, who recounts the story of his grandmother, Gladys (Pamela Kathleen Hill), a former attorney now in her 80s who owns a small art gallery in Greenwich Village.
The set for the COH production is minimal with only a few set pieces used and several empty frames adorning the backdrop.
However, as staged by the show’s director Jack Crory, the set design is in keeping with the Alzheimer's theme of "THE WAVERLY GALLERY" whereby the victim of this cruel disease is still here but their essence seems vacated, as if they themselves are now becoming an “empty frame” of where once a vibrant “full portrait” used to exist.
The two-act play opened Off-Broadway in 2000 and starred Eileen Heckart as Gladys with Joanne Woodward filling in for the ailing Heckart in the final four performances.
Before the actress passed away by the end of 2001, Heckart would ultimately win both the 2000 Drama League and Drama Desk awards for Outstanding Actress along with the Lucille Lortel Award and an Obie Award.
The touching "memory play” now performed in 2026 by COH would also be a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2001.
Nearly 18 years after its debut, "THE WAVERLY GALLERY" would advance to Broadway as a revival starring actress Elaine May, closing in 2019 after 109 performances.
May would receive the 2019 Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for her portrayal of Gladys.
In the COH story, Gladys shows significantly worsening signs of Alzheimer's disease, which is causing severe strain for daughter Ellen (Chelsey Patriss) and son-in-law Howard (Nathaniel Malone), Daniel’s parents.
(Photo: Chelsey Patriss as "Ellen," Nathaniel Malone as "Howard" and Scott Kurland as "Daniel" in a moment from Kenneth Lonergan's "THE WAVERLY GALLERY" from City on a Hill Arts now playing in Leominster, MA. through February 15, 2026. Photo Credit: Cassie Swartz)
Both Patriss and Malone give a very good combined portrayal of the struggling couple, although some of their exchanges with their Kurland as their son Daniel seem to not always quite “land,” especially as the story – and Glady’s diagnosis - progresses.
Daniel lives in the same residence as Gladys which makes him the “first responder” any time Gladys is in need.
Unfortunately, for Daniel, Gladys is ALWAYS in need and, as a result, Daniel never gets any rest.
Kurland gives an emotionally charged performance as Daniel, conveying a wide array of emotions of wanting to be both a loving son and grandson while all the while Daniel just wants to either hide or rid himself of the worsening situation.
Compounding circumstances is that Gladys’ landlord intends to close "THE WAVERLY GALLERY" and replace it with a restaurant for his adjoining hotel.
This also impacts Don (Lucas Cardwell), a young artist, who arrives in the Village hoping to find a gallery where he can display and possibly sell his work.
(Photo: Lucas Cardwell as "Don" in a scene from Kenneth Lonergan's "THE WAVERLY GALLERY" from City on a Hill Arts now playing in Leominster, MA. through February 15, 2026. Photo Credit: Cassie Swartz)
Cardwell does well with the material but some of the lines seem to call for a more obtuse, self-absorbed persona and Cardwell does not come across as such.
However, the character’s arrival brings Don squarely into the fray between Gladys and her family, however as he is seemingly only concerned about his own situation, he is clearly oblivious to Gladys’ worsening condition.
As the emotionally amiable but psychologically struggling Gladys, the unrelenting performance given by Pamela Kathleen Hill is both heart-wrenching and powerful.
The Lonergan story is occasionally difficult to watch, especially for anyone who has found themselves in a similar situation as this family.
But the sympathetic performances given by the City on a Hill Arts cast in "THE WAVERLY GALLERY" provide a “full portrait” of the situation that certainly will prompt further discussions long after the audience leaves and the empty frames are taken down.
(Photo: Scott Kurland as "Daniel" sits opposite Pamela Kathleen Hill as "Gladys" in a scene from Kenneth Lonergan's "THE WAVERLY GALLERY" from City on a Hill Arts now playing in Leominster, MA. through February 15, 2026. Photo Credit: Cassie Swartz)
"THE WAVERLY GALLERY" continues at Congregation Agudat Achim in Leominster until February 15th, 2026.
Next up, after a staged reading in March of "SWEAT" by Lynn Nottage, City on a Hill Arts will present John Patrick Shanley’s “PRODIGAL SON” beginning in November, 2026.
For tickets and more information, contact City on a Hill Arts at # 978-906-5081, via email at director@cityonahillarts.org or visit www.cityonahillarts.org
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Approximately two hours with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
“A play that delivers the hard truth about aging with eloquence and empathy…its heartfelt honesty sets the stage for a very talented company to remind us to cherish the time we’ve got.” – Roma Torre, NY
In Kenneth Lonergan's "THE WAVERLY GALLERY"- Gladys Green has run an art gallery in New York City for many years, but now the building owner wants to replace it with a trendy coffee shop.
As they try to help Gladys hold on to her independence, her family becomes worried about her increasingly erratic behavior.
Inspired by Lonergan’s own grandmother’s battle with Alzheimer’s, "THE WAVERLY GALLERY" is an ode to the humor and strength of a family in crisis.
ABOUT CITY ON A HILL ARTS
CITY ON A HILL (COH) produces works of art that explore the intersection of faith, spirituality, and culture, fostering in each of us a more just and loving response.
70 Foster Road
Ashby, MA. 01431
# 978-906-5081
