King Lear

King Lear

Cort Theatre

April 23, 2019

Photo courtesy of King Lear

I spent Shakespeare’s birthday watching Glenda Jackson perform the role of King Lear on Broadway.  It could not have been a better celebration.  Director Sam Gold brings the text to the forefront as he guides each actor to a deep understanding of what drives their character’s actions.  His casting is impeccable.  His grasp of effective timing is flawless.  The original music by Philip Glass enhances the build of action and calms the conflict, intensifying the emotional impact and pace of the production.  Glenda Jackson is majestic in her complex portrayal of the King. 

King Lear (played by Glenda Jackson) decides to split his kingdom among his three daughters.  Before he does, he asks each one to profess their love for him.  Goneril, the eldest (played by Elizabeth Marvel), is gracious and respectful.  Regan, the second daughter (played by Aisling O’Sullivan), poetically exceeds her sister’s pronouncements.  The youngest and favorite daughter, Cordelia (played by Ruth Wilson), is appalled by the insincere performances of her sisters, and answers truthfully and glibly.  This hurts and infuriates the King.  He disowns Cordelia and splits his kingdom in two among his ostensibly loyal and loving daughters.  The Earl of Kent (played by John Douglas Thompson) comes to Cordelia’s defense, and is immediately banished by the King.  Meanwhile, Edgar (played by Sean Carvajal) is planning on betraying his illegitimate brother, Edmond (played by Pedro Pascal) to remove him from the graces of their father, the Earl of Gloucester (played by Jayne Houdyshell).  The power struggle accelerates to full out war within the family, ending in devastating tragedy.

Glenda Jackson as King Lear
Photo courtesy of King Lear

The most dramatic and powerful scene is the blinding of the Earl of Gloucester by the Duke of Cornwall, Regan’s husband.  Aisling O’Sullivan drives this scene with fear and desperation, as her husband, played by Russell Harvard, pushes the action forward.  The scene is brutal and viscerally engaging.

One brilliant decision in double casting is that Ruth Wilson is playing both Cordelia and King Lear’s Fool.  Her vocal and physical characterizations in the contrasting roles are distinct and strong.  At one point she removes the wig she wears as the Fool.  It’s as if Cordelia is there with the King in his time of need when his other two daughters abandon and betray him.  This simple gesture speaks volumes to Shakespeare’s multi-layered theme of complicated family dynamic.

Ruth Wilson & Glenda Jackson
Photo courtesy of King Lear

The love triangle between Regan, Edgar, and Goneril is physically and sexually driven.  It feeds on the hunger for power these characters possess, which propels their action to their devastating downfall.  The battle that takes place between France and Albany as a result is simply and effectively staged.

King Lear is playing at the Cort Theatre through July 7.  Sam Gold has done an amazing job bringing Shakespeare’s themes to significant impact.  The entire cast is brilliant and powerful.  Glenda Jackson is magnificent.  Jayne Houdyshell is outstanding.  Get a ticket and see it for yourself.  

Domenick Danza

A Doll’s House, Part 2

A Doll’s House, Part 2

Golden Theatre

April 1, 2017

Photo courtesy of A Doll's House, Part 2

What happens to Nora Helmer after she leaves her husband and children, closing the door behind her?  Playwright Lucas Hnath tells his rendition of that story in A Doll’s House, Part 2.  The play digs deeply into the institution of marriage, the value of opening old wounds, and the futility of walking away.  Directed by Sam Gold, the production has a stark coldness that effectively triggers emotional response and intellectual discourse.

There is a knock on the door.  Nora (played by Laurie Metcalf) returns after fifteen years.  She is greeted by Anne Marie (played by Jayne Houdyshell), the housekeeper who raised the children in Nora’s absence.  When Torvald (played by Chris Cooper) arrives home from work unexpectedly, Nora is forced to face him without much preparation.  She is there because Torvald neglected to give her a divorce, and Nora now finds herself in desperate need for that legal document to be filed.  Torvald refuses.  Anne Marie recommends that Nora seek the assistance of her daughter Emmy (played by Condola Rashad) in convincing Torvald.  Against her better judgement, Nora agrees.  Her discoveries are difficult, yet her determination is unwavering.

Laurie Metcalf & Chris Cooper
Photo courtesy of A Doll's House, Part 2

The scene between Nora and her daughter is stunningly written, directed, and performed.  Mr. Hnath sets up the character of Emmy as a mirror image of Nora.   She sees her younger self as headstrong and idealistic.  Condola Rashad masterfully propels the action of the scene deeper with impeccable timing, eye contact, and subtle gestures that reveal the character’s intellect and independence.  Laurie Metcalf matches this skill as she allows her character to face her deepest fear and speak without regret.  Mr. Gold uses level and body position in this scene, as he does throughout the production, to illustrate the power struggle between the characters.  The scene where Chris Cooper and Laurie Metcalf face off is riveting and direct.  Jayne Houdyshell rises up as she refuses to have Nora compare her actions to the choices Anne Marie has made.

Playwright Lucas Hnath

Mr. Hnath makes very bold statements in his well-structured and skillfully crafted play.  When Nora returns, she speaks at length about the detriment of the institution of marriage.  This resonates with irony and humor against the political changes in legal marriage over the past few years.  Torvald explains how instead of leaving the marriage after her “epiphany,” she should have stayed to work it out with him.  By expressing this we see how Torvald has grown over the years.  With this concept of marriage as a challenging negotiable partnership juxtaposed against the one earlier expressed by Nora, we get an alternate view of Ibsen’s independent heroine through the lens of the adaptability of the characters she left behind.  In the closing scene we are compelled to ask ourselves where to look for evidence of the changes we seek in the world.

Presently in previews at the Golden Theatre, A Doll’s House, Part 2 opens on April 27 and runs for a sixteen week limited engagement.  It is relevant and absorbing.  See it for yourself. 

Domenick Danza    

The Humans

The Humans

Roundabout Theatre Company

The Helen Hayes Theatre

January 31, 2016

Photo courtesy of The Humans

The Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of The Humans has moved to Broadway’s Helen Hayes Theatre.  The script, written by Stephen Karam, is brilliantly crafted with strong dramatic action that keeps the audience riveted.  Director Joe Mantello directed a seamless ninety minutes of action that enthralls, entertains, and excites.  The cast of five naturalistically delve into the underlying issues that bubble beneath the surface of continuous holiday conversation.  They then boomerang back with understanding that tenderly defines the family network that the play so aptly and realistically portrays. 

Brigid (played by Sarah Steele) invites her family for Thanksgiving dinner.  She has just moved into a new apartment in lower Manhattan that she shares with her boyfriend, Richard (played by Arian Moayed).  Her mother, Deirdre (played by Jayne Houdyshell), is constantly dropping remarks about Brigid and Richard not being married.  Her father, Erik (played by Reed Birney), has been having trouble sleeping and shares one of his disturbing nightmares.  Her sister, Aimee (played by Cassie Beck), is suffering from gastric colitis, has recently broken up with her longtime partner, and is being let go from her law firm.  Momo, her grandmother (played by Lauren Klein), is suffering from dementia and violent outbursts.  The “normal” family holiday stress drives the dinner conversation, revealing a few serious emotional scars.  The evening culminates in an announcement that shakes the foundation and security of this close family unit.

Sarah Steele, Arian Moayed, & Jayne Houdyshell
Photo courtesy of The Humans

This is a true ensemble piece with five strongly developed characters.  Each one carries a storyline of their own.  It is their careful and deliberate intertwining that makes the play engaging.  All the actors are fully committed and create a web of complex relationships that are realistic, truthful, and endearing.  The set, by David Zinn, is an ingenious split level design that effectively allows action to be viewed simultaneously.  The lighting, by Justin Townsend, and sound, by Fitz Patton, create an atmosphere of mystery and suspense that builds as the play reaches its climax.  

Photo courtesy of The Humans

The Humans is performed without an intermission.  There is no late seating and the notice in the program says, “If you leave your seat for any reason during the performance, you will not be permitted to return.”  Rightly so.  The action of this play should not be interrupted once it begins… and should not be missed.  Get a ticket today!

Domenick Danza