By MINGSI MA

South Park Theatre stages the second play of its 2026 season, Talley’s Folly, directed by Melissa Hill Grande. Playwright Lanford Wilson’s Talley’s Folly is a romantic comedy that one would not mistake for any other genre from the outset. The story follows two oddballs, Sally Talley and Matt Friedman, as they crack their shells, discover each other’s deepest personal pasts and secrets, and timidly navigate love. Still, the best part of rom-coms is that they always remind us that great love makes people brave.

The play is set in rural Lebanon, Missouri, in 1944 (Fun fact: Lanford Wilson was born there). The story takes place at a boathouse Sally’s uncle built. The production’s modest set design delays the immediate establishment of the boathouse setting, leaving the space visually ambiguous in the opening moments.Rob Hockenberry takes the stage as the hopeless romantic Matt Friedman, who travels all the way to Lebanon to convince Sally Talley, played by Rebekah Hukill, to marry him.  

I have to say, I didn’t expect myself to be so infatuated by Matt’s prologue in this play, as Hockenberry breaks the fourth wall to address the audience directly and declares, “If everything goes well for me tonight, this should be a waltz.” The prologue establishes Matt’s charm: he is funny, joking around with a well-executed impersonation of a woman with an accent; he is also a lover of love, traveling all the way to pursue a special lady even though she replied to one of his letters with “no.” In the intimate confines of South Park Theatre, Hockenberry’s direct address feels especially personal, drawing the audience into his camp and supporting his romantic quest. 

Surprisingly, in an interview, the playwright Lanford Wilson revealed that he added the prologue because, when Talley’s Folly was being created, his other earlier play, Serenading Louie, had just been revived and staged a double murder-suicide. Worried that audiences might think, “He’s going to murder her,” Wilson added the prologue, cheerfully commenting, “Don’t think for a minute that this isn’t going to be a romantic story!”

Matt and Sally are indeed adorable, and their story makes the audience smile. Hockenberry’s Matt is a bit physically clumsy but appears to be erudite. He cracks one joke after another, vividly mimicking Sally’s family members with body language and vocal changes so distinct that the audience can effortlessly tell apart each person he’s impersonating. Hockenberry communicates Matt’s character with an exaggerated stage presence, externalizing the character’s emotions and amplifying the personality in a heightened comedic style. The scene in which Matt plays the foul by putting on the ice skates, attempts a dance pose, and quickly falls, painfully, on stage is very funny. 

On the contrary, at first glance, Rebekah Hukill’s Sally Talley feels like the straight man of the comedy. This serious and composed counterpart anchors the scene in reality against Matt’s funny-man energy. At the beginning, the different performance approaches and the plot do draw uneven attention between Hockenberry and Hukill – Hockenberry’s Matt wins more spotlight because of his humor, exaggerated movement, and impressive impersonation. Sally initially gives the impression of a secondary character to set off Matt’s charm. If we step back from considering Hukill’s and Hockenberry’s performances individually, the chemistry between the couple feels yet to be fully realized, largely because the two actors approach their roles through different emotional registers — one grounded in realism, the other highly animated.           

Still, the depth of Hukill’s performance should not be overlooked. Its nuances reward attentive viewing. Her performance as Sally is subtle yet provides incredibly rich emotional shading. In response to Matt’s pursuit, Hukill reveals a shifting range of emotions as their conversation progresses. When Sally first sees Matt at the boathouse, Hukill does not give out much surprise. She crosses her arms defensively, guarded by his unexpected presence. The gesture contrasts with Sally’s carefully chosen, pretty floral dress and her chic makeup, which indicates her anticipation and the conscious or unconscious excitement. Later, when Matt makes a fool of himself in the ice skates, Sally glimpses a smile she tries to hide but fails. Sally is caught between not wanting to encourage Matt and her secret affection for him. When Matt reveals his traumatic family past, Hukill conveys Sally’s regret by lowering her head and clenching her fist after realizing she has stirred painful memories. 

Throughout this 97-minute play, Hukill delicately delivers Sally’s emotional journey in a cohesive and well-thought-out sensitivity to the character’s evolving psychology. The deep understanding of the character’s inner life deserves a round of applause. Sally’s counterintuitive attitude towards Matt eventually makes sense as the story goes and reveals itself not as inconsistency, but as emotional self-protection. By the time the emotions build, and the two share their deepest secrets, the sincerity between Matt and Sally feels more precious than ever.

As the playwright promises and as all rom-coms go, the last moment of the play ends as the spotlight shines on the two lovebirds, hand in hand, swaying through an affectionate waltz. I know, you might shrug and say, “Well, that’s how all rom-coms go.” But still, who can say no to that?

TICKETS AND DETAILS

South Park Theatre’s Talley’s Folly runs till Saturday, May 31, 2026. For more information about the performance, visit South Park Theatre’s website

Mingsi Ma is a critic, arts writer, and creative industry professional. https://mingsima.com

Categories: Arts and Ideas