THEATER REVIEW ‘SHIRLEY VALENTINE ’
 Wednesdays at 8 p.m. through Aug. 27 Firehouse Theater 4 Equality Park Place, Newport Tickets $20 (401) 849-3473 www.firehousetheater.org
 BY JANINE WEISMAN
  Firehouse Theater owners Jack and Donna Maytum noticed something odd last August: Sunday, Monday and Tuesday performances pulled in bigger audiences than those occurring on weekend nights. And no matter what day of the week, the people in those seats were from out of town.
  So in a business that so often makes risk a prerequisite for success, the couple are banking on a new strategy this summer — presenting a different show each night of the week in an attempt to coax locals into their air-conditioned, BYOB theater. That plan commenced on the freshly painted Firehouse stage last Wednesday with the unveiling of British playwright Willy Russell’s “Shirley Valentine ,” the story of a Liverpool housewife before and after her holiday in Greece and her journey to self-discovery.
  That the considerable emotional depth permeating the set of three monologues that comprises “Shirley Valentine ” was written by a man is remarkable and so is the commitment by any actress to tackle the demanding title role. As Shirley , Carol Anne Williams had her work cut out for her in portraying a middle-aged woman drowning in her own insecurity when a lifeline in the form of a plane ticket bought by a girlfriend is thrown her way. But Williams turned in a solid opening night performance, comfortably telling Shirley ’s story while making the small stage seem downright spacious as she peeled and sliced potatoes to fry chips on the stove.
  Shirley is unhappy with her life, her son and daughter now moved out on their own and her emotionally distant husband, Joe, unappreciative of her cooking and cleaning, never mind her clitoris. She’s taken to talking to the kitchen wall about her fears and disappointment.
  Williams navigates the two scenes in the first act well and through adept body language shows us a changed woman lounging in the sun as the second act begins. Escaping the drudgery of her life for the past 52 years, Shirley has blossomed on a Greek island where she has discovered, not only earthquake sex, but herself.
  I was surprised to learn much of Williams’ work in this play was self-directed as she is clearly at home on stage and her British accent was admirable. But another pair of eyes and ears could have helped Williams add more contrast. At the end of the first act when Shirley reveals she was convinced to take the trip by a neighbor who gave her a silk nightie and high praise for bravery, she immediately follows with a comment that she is “still terrified, you know.” Williams kept the story on the same level and in doing so, lost the bit.
  But, I am sure, as the summer continues she will keep mining the emotional peaks and valleys in Russell’s richly drawn script.