Review: Elegiac 'The Father' Strikes a Poignant Note at Wilbury Theatre Group

The concept of memory is at the core of "The Father," Florian Zeller's compelling one-act play about an elderly man with declining mental faculties.

Zeller, a French playwright, sets the story in a Paris apartment. Christopher Hampton translated Zeller's script into English. Richard Donelly ("Waiting for Godot") gives a powerful performance as Andre, who is living with his daughter Anne (Jeanine Kane) and her husband Pierre (Marvin Novogrodski).

Andre is a cantankerous man, set in his ways. He accused his previous caretaker of stealing his watch. Anne advises her father to look for it in the kitchen cabinet before introducing Andre to a new caretaker, Laura (Gabrielle McCauley), a high-spirited and friendly woman. Andre tells Laura he used to be a tap dancer, although Anne says that isn't true. Laura is charmed by Andre, until he reveals a darker side.