Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" at the Booth Theatre, October 11, 2012

Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre returns to Broadway with the revival of Edward Albee's play about the battle that is marriage.

It hasn't been all that long since the last Rialto revival with Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin, so I was interested to see what this new production has to offer.  What we get is a solid retelling of the play, much like last season's revival of Death of a Salesman, proving again what a well-made play it is.  Beyond that, there's not much unique in this production.

One thing I did notice, was that Amy Morton's Martha has acceded some of the power to Tracy Letts' George right from the start.  Even though she brays and intimidates, it doesn't land with the same vitriol one usually experiences.  With that opportunity, Mr. Letts' George is now free to wield his sarcasm like a sword, slashing at Martha and their guests.

Speaking of, this Nick (Madison Dirks) and Honey (Carrie Coon), fall right in line behind whoever is spewing the venom.  Mr. Dirks captures the requisite loose athletic demeanor of Nick's football past.  Ms. Coon gives a nice turn as the besotted Honey, though not quite as fragile as other interpretations.

Director Pam MacKinnon keeps things moving fairly well, though there were a couple of slow spots in Act II as the party games transition from "humiliate the husband" to "get the guests."

Todd Rosenthal's large living room set captures the academic environment, but went a little overboard with the stacks of books literally everywhere.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf is on an open-ended run.  Tickets here.

High

"High" at the Booth Theatre, March 29, 2011


Matthew Lombardo returns to Broadway from last season's so-so Looped with story of sin, redemption and weakness.  Sister Jamison Connelly (Kathleen Turner) is a well-respected counselor at a Catholic-sponsored rehab facility.  Her supervisor, Father Michael (Stephen Kunken), convinces her to take on 19 year old Cody (Evan Jonigkeit) whose addiction profile falls outside of the facility's usual requirements (gay, not Catholic).  High is a better effort than Looped, but still has its own issues.

Ms. Turner's nun, Sister Jamie, is everything you'd expect from her - tough as nails, jaded, cynical and all let's-just-get-down-to-business-shall-we.  Cody's arrival at the facility comes when he's found high in a seedy motel with the dead body of a 14 year old boy.  She immediately suspects that Cody killed the boy, but no charges were made and Father Michael persuaded the court to put Cody in his facility, rather than a state-run rehab center.  This increases her suspicions and the counseling sessions begin, highly confrontational with Sister Jamie biting, every time Cody baits her.  Everyone's got secrets they don't want to tell.  Revelations follow, fortunately, some of which not in the way one might have guessed (to Mr. Lombardo's credit), but others don't ring true.

As Sister Jamie, Ms. Turner is all about the tough-guy, been-there-done-that counselor, daring her patient to shock her with his history.  Ms. Turner plays her as being so tough and hard, it undercuts the effect when he actually manages to do just that.  When she finally has her own breakdown, it's just not believable.  This result is likely the combination of the writing and Ms. Turner's acting choices.

Mr. Kunken, last seen on Broadway as Andy Fastow in Enron, has a bit less to work with as Father Michael.  When Sister Jamie confronts him about Cody, Mr. Lombardo writes a reaction that is totally inconsistent with how a director of a substance abuse rehabilitation center would respond, even with the plot contrivances in place.

It is Mr. Jonigkeit who does all the heavy lifting in this play, and admirably so for his NY and Broadway debut.  He's supported by the writing, Mr. Lombardo's best in the piece, and he fully delivers.  Recalcitrant, defiant, compromising, and compliant from moment to moment, he accomplishes all with great dexterity.  It's a notable performance.

Director Rob Ruggiero returns along with Mr. Lombardo from Looped, improving upon his work.  I'm certain that Ms. Turner is quite a force to reckon with in the rehearsal room, and one can see the results of that in her performance.  He elicits excellent work from Mr. Jonigkeit, as noted above.

David Gallo's stark black box set with a constellation of backdrop starlight and simple white furniture and doors works fairly well.  There was one effect that I wish had been better executed.  In the stage floor were three acrylic panels, uplighted for monologues.  I'm guessing the intent was to have the actor appear floating in a starry sky, but only the balcony really got that impact.  Perhaps it was John Lasiter's lights that didn't pull off the effect.

High is on an open-ended run.

Dividing the Estate

"Dividing the Estate" at the Booth Theatre, January 1, 2009

(photo by Joan Marcus)

Horton Foote's version of a Tennessee Williams premise left a bit of a disappointing legacy for me, despite what should have been an excellent cast.

I had decided to see this show mostly to see Elizabeth Ashley. Much to my disappointment, Miss Ashley (or Ahsley, as it was spelled on the notice) was out for this performance and her role was played by less than impressive Jill Tanner. It's got to be terrifically difficult to serve as an understudy on a Broadway show, and I don't mean to diminish Ms. Tanner's efforts. However, minimum requirements when stepping in are to know ALL of the lines as well as NOT throwing away ALL of the jokes. Sadly, Ms. Tanner failed on both counts.

I found the plot relatively predictable, telegraphing character deaths in short order. I also found several characters to be severely one-dimensional, either by script, direction or performance. It was sometimes difficult to tell which was most at fault.

There were one or two bright spots. Penny Fuller as Lucille turns in a lovely performance as the widowed daughter fighting for her son's legacy. Hallie Foote's portrayal of Lucille's sister, the greedy and selfish Mary Jo took until the second act for me to find any note of character shading. The rest of the cast fell victim to either stereotype (in the case of the house staff roles) or wooden delivery (in the case of Devon Abner, Maggie Lacey, Nicole Lawrence and Jenny Dare Paulin).

Jeff Cowie's set works hard to cram in the plethora of features required by the script, but doing so ultimately compromised the grand, but fading elegance of the family manse.

Director Michael Wilson provides a meandering pace giving room to allow the mouse I saw crossing the house left aisle to upstage the entire first act. (Really, a mouse in the aisle!)

The Devil and Danny O'Webster

"The Seafarer" at the Booth Theatre, December 2, 2007

(Photo by Joan Marcus)

Conor McPherson's latest supernatural tale of from the Emerald Isle has arrived, and for one who's been a bit tired of Irish drama lately, it's a welcome addition to the current Broadway play season. Following last year's ghost story in "Shining City" at Manhattan Theatre Club, Mr. McPherson is now taking on the larger spectrum of faith. In "Shining City" Mr. McPherson took on ghosts and guilt. This time he's broadened the demons of guilt to the ultimate battle of good and evil - man vs. the devil.

Richard (Jim Norton), recently blinded after a hitting his head in a drunken episode is being looked after by his brother Sharky (David Morse) who has recently returned home after losing yet another job. Drinking buddy Ivan (Conleth Hill) can't seem to find his way home to his family, encouraged by Richard to keep the booze flowing. Soon enough Nicky (Richie Coster) shows up. Seems Nicky stole the love of Sharky's life not so very long ago, contributing to Sharky's inability to focus on anything. In tow, Nicky has brought along one Mr. Lockhart (Ciaran Hinds), something of a misfit among this motley crew of Irishmen. Each of these men is fighting their own individual demons.

Part of Sharky's return is his goal to stop drinking for a while, to see if he can get his life back on track. Richard will have none of that, taking every opportunity to make that choice more difficult for Sharky. When Mr. Lockhart shows up, we learn that he and Sharky had met once before, after Sharky beat a man to death 25 years before. A jailhouse card game won by Sharky compelled the not-so-human-but-really-Lucifer-not-Lockhart to create a diversion where Sharky was released and never charged.

As Sharky, Mr. Morse still maintains a boyishness that belies his whitening hair. In fact, until it was stated, I thought he was Richard's son. His Sharky is shaky and nervous, first from alcohol withdrawal, then at the thought of life in the hell that Lockhart describes in vivid detail. It's a solid and notable performance. Sharky's demons from 25 years ago return as Lockhart demands a chance to win Sharky's soul in a rematch card game.

Mr. Coster, tall and rangy, his Nicky comes across a bit fey with a special delight in his Versace leather jacket. Mr. Hill's Ivan brings a bit of Benny Hill to mind, as he searches for his glasses lost during the previous drunken night, fumbling about the house for two acts. His demons are also revealed to connect with Lockhart as well, stemming from a fire that killed two families.

Mr. Hinds' Lockhart comes off a bit glib at first. His well-heeled look seems out of place among the his drunken compatriots. His Lockhart does belie his own goal of collecting another human soul, yet appearing so uncomfortable in the human shell he's assumed. It's interesting that the demon of alcohol weakens Lockhart as he torments Sharky.

Mr. Norton is the one to watch. He flails and fumbles as he adjusts to his recently lost sight. Richard's blindness has little impact on his inability to care for himself - many times charging off fueled by a constant flow of whiskey. His mix of physical comedy and detailed characterization is masterful.

Mr. McPherson, who also directs, gives us an excellent evening in the theatre. From the fine performances he's coaxed from his talented cast, to some clever nuances (watch the candle under the picture of Christ that hangs in the upstairs hallway), he has translated his work from paper to stage quite successfully.

Rae Smith's sets and costumes thoughtfully portray the worn-down lives of these men. I thought the flashes of red in Lockhart's ensemble (tie and suit jacket lining) were a particularly nice touch. Neil Austin's lighting ably assists, though some effects when Lockhart flexes his power come off a bit cheesy.

Grief Has Its Limitations

"The Year of Magical Thinking" at the Booth Theatre, May 31, 2007

(photo by Brigitte Lacombe)

Joan Didion's memoir of the same title is the basis for the 90 minute recitation now in a limited run in New York. It is billed as a play, but with only one character's point of view expressed, it is more an abridged version of her book told aloud by the very compelling Vanessa Redgrave. It's certainly not a happy tale, of the loss of both husband and daughter in a year's time.

Miss Redgrave's demeanor and vocal qualities, though compelling in skill, don't seem to create a character of a woman in the kind of denial and grieving she describes. Attired in an off-white silk tunic over a full bias-cut grey skirt, she does mention throughout the evening of her need to maintain control, to "manage" the events as they transpire in order to correct the errors and bring her loved ones back. And, she never loses that control as she tells her story. Wouldn't this have been the opportunity to increase the drama? She does describe her emotions, but never displays them so that the audience can share this tale of grief. Perhaps it was the release of the tension of being onstage alone for 90 minutes, but I felt more emotion from Miss Redgrave as she accepted her applause than anytime before during the evening.

Bob Crowley's sets, primarily a series of abstract drops, washed in greys, evoke a cloudy sky or beach scene, each dropping through the floor to reveal the next as the tale continues.

Director David Hare is quite spare in his role here. Much of the recitation is performed with Miss Redgrave sitting in a plain wooden armchair on a bare stage. She delivers certain lines and questions directly to audience members, but these gesture feel terribly forced. It's a difficult task, setting a reading as an evening of theatre. I think his goal was to juxtapose the color of Ms. Didion's language and story against the severe neutral palette of the sets and costumes, as well as a neutral delivery by Miss Redgrave. I wish he had been more successful.