Mustang Sally

Student sexual abuse by teachers is unfortunately a hot topic and happens all too frequently. MUSTANG SALLY was written to expose a seemingly double standard in these cases. If the perpetrator is a male he is rigorously prosecuted and labeled a sex offender for life. If a woman is the perpetrator it becomes more complicated. First she can’t actually rape a victim.  Often the Male victim of the such abuse is declared” lucky” by his classmates and outsiders. Even Bill Maher makes fun of all the fuss made when it’s a female teacher and an adolescent male.

     Mustang Sally tries to deal with these matters but really ends up a study of a totally dysfunctional family trying to deal with the crisis. Sally Conway plays the teacher Kathy, who is in love with a thirteen-year-old student. Her character is so unrepentant and childish I just couldn’t feel any sympathy for her. Even worse is her annoying sister, well played by Andrea Conte, who goes from loud denial to be overbearing self -righteousness. Furthermore, if that is not enough there is the even more annoying mother, played pitch-perfectly by Tish Smiley. Ms Smiley voice however was so grating I had a hard time even listening to her. This is not to say the acting wasn’t good because it was but I felt no empathy for the characters. The fault was either in the writing by the playwright Linda Felton Steinbaum or in the direction by Arturo Castillo.

     Rounding out the cast are Michael Blain-Rozgay as a lawyer and Sean Vincent Biggins as Kathy’s friend. Mr. Blain- Rozgay was good until he let the mother paw all over him and then didn’t react except to smile. You would almost think he enjoyed it. Mr. Biggins definitely gives the most successful performance of the group. He is allowed to be sympathetic and his emotions are real and quite moving. If you are looking for some good acting and are interested in the topic, MUSTANG SALLY might be something to see.

 

THE WHITEFIRE THEATRE 13500 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks 888 811 4111