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.

Melting Down the Nuclear Family

"The American Dream" and "The Sandbox" at the Cherry Lane Theatre, March 27, 2008

Under the direction of the author, these two one-act plays appear to be the first time Mr. Albee revisited a previous play to write something of a prequel. He did this recently with the successful "Peter and Jerry" adding "Homelife" as a prequel to "Zoo Story."

There's not quite the same direct connection here, but we do get two visits with Mommy (Judith Ivey), Daddy (George Bartenieff) and Grandma (Lois Markle). In "The American Dream," Mommy and Daddy are waiting on a visitor, though they're not quite sure whom or why. Mrs. Barker (Kathleen Butler) shows up, also unsure as to why she's there. Finally Grandma tells Mrs. Barker a sordid tale of an infant boy whose adoptive parents mutilate and ultimately kill. No sooner is the story ended that the doorbell rings at the arrival of a tall, handsome and muscular Young Man (Harmon Walsh). He tells his own tale of emptiness, pain and the loss of his twin brother at birth, with events that match up to the torture of the boy Grandma talked about. Grandma uses the young man as an opportunity to escape the bickering, sniping and threats of calling "the van man." Mommy, Daddy and Mrs. Barker discover the Young Man in their living room. Mommy is immediately (if pruriently) attracted to the Young Man, finding something very familiar about him as she flirts. The act ends before revealing any more.

"The Sandbox" opens on a beach where The (very muscular) Young Man (Jesse Williams) speedo-clad this time, stands slowly waving his arms. Mommy and Daddy enter, looking for the right spot to deposit Grandma. It seems Grandma has lived well beyond her usefulness and they seek a convenient spot to facilitate her demise. Daddy carries her in as she squawks and squeals like an infant. Once placed in the sandbox, Mommy brings on The Musician (Daniel Shevlin) to accompany the proceedings on the cello. It gets late, so Mommy and Daddy leave. Grandma then engages The Young Man in conversation, learning that he's been hired to play the role of the angel of death.

Ms. Ivey is a most overbearing, self-centered and obnoxious Mommy, manipulating and intimidating everyone in her path. This Mommy may hear, but rarely listens unless it concerns her own wants.

In Daddy, Mr. Bartenieff is a mouse of a milquetoast, befuddled and more concerned for calmness than clarity.

Of the Young Men offered, Mr. Williams is the more successful of the two. The very handsome Mr. Walsh comes across a bit self-conscious and ill at ease with Mr. Albee's dialogue. Mr. Williams is afforded a bit more leeway with the overt transparency of his purpose on stage.

Ms. Markle's Grandma is the only character who is afforded more than two dimensions. Writhing under the mental torture of her daughter's charity (not that she'd ever be allowed to forget that), hers is the only voice of normalcy among the surrounding navel-gazers.

Having seen Arthur Laurent's direction of "Gypsy" and now Mr. Albee's direction of his own work, I find a similar economy of effort, basic and straightforward, generally allowing the actor to make his/her own way through the role. As with Pinter, it seems that Mr. Albee is also an "actor's playwright." Finding meaningful motivation and subtext amid the absurd plots/scenarios must provide a great and exciting challenge for an actor.

As the author, Mr. Albee has created a scenario he would go on to explore from many different directions, that of dysfunctional family groups and murky stories of children from such unions. I could see a bit of "...Virginia Woolf's" Martha and George in some of Mommy and Daddy's interactions, as well as the unseen child from that play. Many have already discussed the impact of Mr. Albee's own adoptive parents on his writing. I won't attempt further analysis here.

Neil Patel's basic sets and Nicole Pearce's lights neither distract or make significant contribution to the proceedings. Carrie Robbins' costumes are equally serviceable, if unremarkable (though what was up with that poorly attached lace collar/shawl on Grandma's dress and her dreadful shoes?)

Animal Tendencies

"Edward Albee's Peter and Jerry" at Second Stage Theatre, October 21, 2007

Expanding on his 1958 success "The Zoo Story," Mr. Albee has written something of a prequel to provide a full view of Peter from the earlier play. "Homelife" according to Mr. Albee, "...will flesh Peter fully and make the subsequent balance better."

I think he is quite successful in this. Peter (Bill Pullman) and his wife Ann, (Johanna Day) struggle through a compelling, if oddly dysfunctional act revealing things about their marriage that it seems neither really wanted to ever say. At the end of the act, Peter announces he is going to the park to read, setting up the the odd and disconcerting (to say the least) encounter with Jerry.

As Peter, Mr. Pullman maintains a palpable detachment and personal discomfort that made me wonder if he and his wife had ever talked about anything beyond superficial things like the weather or how dull the textbook is that is being published by his firm.

Ms. Day's Ann attempts to struggle the role of a housewife in some sense of timelessness. In 1958, a full-time home-maker was the standard in the American nuclear family. Fifty years later, such a profile is much less common, requiring a bit more of a stretch in imagination by the audience than might be credible. Yet, she is not willing to go so far as we see in Lifetime movies, thank goodness. But her desire for a sense of passion and fire in their relationship is extinguished when Peter shares a disturbing tale from a fraternity incident and an unnamed co-ed.

Peter's recovery from his revelation seems a bit expedient by the time he leaves for the park. When Jerry (Dallas Roberts) happens along, it's apparent that things are about to get uncomfortable.

Mr. Roberts' Jerry, manic and quirky, never quites breathes the real danger that lurks within. When the violence does occur, it feels more an accident rather than the manipulation of a sociopath. His rambling stories did lose a bit of steam and edge in the (almost endless) tale of his landlady's dog.

Mr. Albee explores the nature of duality on several levels in these two related one-acts: husband/wife, parents/children, people/pets, cats/birds, love/lust, sane/crazy, indoor/outdoor, and ultimately, life/death. Neil Patel echoes this duality in his two-window interior and two-bench exterior sets, all gently surrounded by a curved grass-green scrim.

Ultimately, I found the new first act more compelling, but struggled with the stilted language in Peter and Ann's conversation. Director Pam McKinnon has pulled solid performances from Mr. Pullman and Ms. Day, but hasn't managed to get much edge or sense of menace out of Mr. Roberts for Jerry. It is early in previews, however. With a few more performances, all should find the appropriate levels for a strong production.