Two Naughtons in bloom

Roses in December
Urban Stages

In a particularly sentimental move, the true-life father-daughter team of James and Keira Naughton are appearing in off-Broadway's "Roses In December." The idea is adorable, but they do not once interact face-to-face, a disappointing feature of this otherwise pleasant, if fairly inconsequential, drama. Based on the James Barrie quote, "God gave us our memories so that we might have roses in December," Victor L. Cahn's play is a sweet distraction on a cold evening, but not a particularly stimulating one.

Carolyn Meyers (Keira Naughton) is a graduate student and assistant to the director of alumni affairs at Prescott College. Her idol, writer Joel Gordon (James Naughton), is a distinguished alumnus. In the style of A.R. Gurney's "Love Letters," their relationship develops through dramatic readings of written correspondences.

Carolyn initially writes to Joel to invite him to attend his class reunion and receive a special alumni award. When he refuses, she continues to write until we find out that her motives are more personal than they first appeared. She attempts to get inside information from the elusive writer for her master's thesis, and eventually we learn that her parents were very close to him in college.

While Cahn has written very intelligent letters for the two actors, the basic format of the play lends itself to tedium. The pace is slow throughout most of the first act until Carolyn reveals that she has found an unpublished manuscript of Joel's titled "Roses in December," which he insists she destroy. Mainly due to the pick-up in the storyline, the second act is much more interesting, as the true meaning behind the manuscript's story unfolds, along with the complicated truth of Joel and Carolyn's relationship. The letter-reading is enhanced by soft lighting, original music by Sergei Dreznin and projections of flowers meant to show the passing of time, designed by Roman Tatarowicz.

Keira Naughton turns in an endearing performance as the persistent wannabe protege. She brings earnestness and honesty to the part, which is underscored by the feeling that she is wise beyond her years and much more in control of her awe than it seems.

Her father, in turn, does well with what he is given as the former playboy who spends the whole play shying away from attention and concealing his secrets. Theater veteran James Naughton has a knack for the dry sarcastic lines that Cahn has occasionally given him but is also tender in the right places.

Despite the lack of interaction between father and daughter that you might expected from a sentimental family-casting job, the Naughtons are well-balanced and make a charming team on stage.