Directed by America Young and written by leading actress Dana Lyn Baron, Betty (Baron), a middle-aged actress, is preparing for another low-stakes role when sudden pain spirals her into neuroses about aging, irrelevance, and survival. Enter Mary (Tally McCormack), her eager young rival.
While at this point to some it may sound slightly like a social media war cry, women supporting women should never be underestimated because it holds such a genuine importance. Whether that be in business, in sports or just in daily life, the smallest instance can have a huge impact. Betty & Mary: The Actors Prepare portrays a wonderful example of that, in a moment of vulnerability and distress, having another woman step up to help. It’s that classic show of solidarity and empathy that so many will do without thinking, something that’s even more valuable in today’s society that’s increasingly filled with selfish and uncaring behaviour.
Dana Lyn Baron’s writingcreates an exploration of ageing, particularly how with women there can tend to be an ingrained misogyny in how it’s viewed. As well as how going through middle-age for women can impact your mental state, something which is then heightened by Betty’s experiences. Creating this strained, slightly delusional state which is nicely reflected by America Young’s direction in a subtle manner. It’s really great to see these issues dealt with in a way that can bring through the acting and industry side of things without making it melodramatic, as they’re such relevant, poignant issues.
Something that’s then matched by the performances from Dana Lyn Baron and Tally McCormack, to keep things grounded yet with a touch of theatrics and everyday humour. They do well to bring that tone in the writing to life, while also capturing the heavier nature of the topics. Baron does a terrific job of portraying the mental strain of what her character is going through. The desire to forge ahead, particularly in spite of those who doubt or judge her, yet needing to put her health and wellbeing first, it’s a quintessential crossroads for many women.
McCormack then creates a really nice balance with that, building such a down to earth, sympathetic and friendly personality for Mary. The two then spark a good friction between them, capturing the sense of competition but it never becomes harsh or overtakes the bigger meaning of the story, while also making its point clearly.
The editing work (by Elisa Daniels) leans into that well, to capture the back and forth between the characters, on top of the quietly chaotic nature of the story. Also helping it to create a good pacing, it’s a very intimate space, so along with the direction, it adds a great movement to it. There’s a nicely sharp aesthetic, but it can feel as though the contrast has been turned a little too high, making the colouring feel slightly off. Also, the choice to thread in classic works of theatre into the dialogue doesn’t feel like a strong choice. It’s easy to see the intention and it does make sense, but they ultimately pull away from the humble, everyday tone of the story.
Betty & Mary: The Actors Prepare is a thoughtful, relatable exploration of ageing, womanhood and vulnerability. There are a few choices that don’t strike as strong of a note as hoped but the story is well written and the direction nicely matches its tone, as well as that of the performances. There’s a good pacing and progression to it, well supported by the editing work, and Dana Lyn Baron and Tally McCormack both give great performances. It’s an effective way to explore these issues to portray that they are both highly poignant and such everyday experiences for women.
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