Sea Wall / A Life

Sea Wall / A Life

Hudson Theater

August 9, 2019

Photo courtesy of Sea Wall / A Life

SeaWall / A Life are two back to back one-act, one-character plays starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge.  Sea Wall is written by Simon Stephens.  A Life is written by Nick Payne.  They are very different in style and structure, and when placed together, invoke the joy, wonder, pain, and solitude of the mystery of life.  These two playwrights craft characters that are exposed and vulnerable.  They openly admit their flaws and fears, while sharing the intimacies of their brightest and darkest moments.  Director Carrie Cracknell finds the uniqueness of each piece and juxtaposes them in a way that magnetically unifies them.

Sea Wall:  Alex (played by Tom Sturridge) shares the first impression he has of a close friend of his in Ireland.  He flows into telling of the meeting of his girlfriend, who later becomes his wife.  Together they travel to visit his friend’s home in the South of France  They swim and scuba dive, and engage in discussion of God and existence.  Alex and his wife have a daughter, Lucy, who brings love and completion to Alex’s heart.  They continue to visit the South of France, until events take a sudden and unexpected turn.   

Tom Sturridge
Photo courtesy of Sea Wall / A Life

Tom Sturridge is pensive and distracted as Alex.  He clumsily knocks things over, then waits to get his bearing.  He starts to get to the best part of his story, then retreats incapable of making words.  As the story unfolds, we understand the depth of this physical and emotional behavior.  He embodies this character in his core.  His performance is raw and moving.

A Life:  Abe (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) starts off telling of the awkward moment when his wife told him she was pregnant.  It takes him by surprise.  He then jumps to telling of the time his father woke him in the middle of the night because his arm was numb and tingling.  Being a teenager, Abe could not fully understand his father’s need for his company.  He jumps again to the time he brought his girlfriend, later to be his wife, to first meet his parents.  He jumps forward to telling of his father being taken to the hospital with heart failure.  Abe continually skips back and forth as his stories of losing his father gel with the birth of his daughter, meshing his feeling of joy and grief to such an extreme that they become one. 

Jake Gyllenhaal
Photo courtesy of Sea Wall / A Life

Jake Gyllenhaal is quirky and openhearted as Abe.  As the story jumps from moment to moment in a seemingly disjointed manner, we understand the thought process of his character.  He brilliantly juggles and blends the humor and intensity of the writing, creating honest moments of realization and discovery.

Sea All / A Life is playing at the Hudson Theatre for a limited time.  Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge are magnificent.  You only have until September 29 to see these two outstanding performances of two skillfully written and moving plays.  Don’t miss it!  Get your tickets right away!

Domenick Danza

1984

1984

Hudson Theatre

June 25, 2017

Photo courtesy of 1984

Powerful!  Alarming!  Brilliant!  The Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 can be described with those three words.  Powerful in its structure and use of technology to engage the senses, stimulate the intellect, and evoke emotion.  Alarming it its multiple levels of truth and relevance.  Brilliant in its scope of vision and precise interpretation. 

Sitting in the theatre waiting for the show to begin, there is sound, a presence, an electrical presence.  The huge speakers are visible, obviously working.  Does anyone notice the sound?  Can they be listening? 

Photo courtesy of 1984

The lights come up on Winston Smith (played by Tom Sturridge) writing in a journal for verification, so the future will know, so he will remember.  The year is 1984, or so he thinks.  He catches the eye of Julia (played by Olivia Wilde) who he concludes must be Thought Police.  They meet in secret.  He trusts her.  They decide to join the resistance against the party and the watchful eye of Big Brother.  Who to trust is never fully known, and the truth is always in question.

Photo courtesy of 1984

Tom Sturridge and Olivia Wilde have a strong connection and chemistry.  Ms. Wilde implements numerous tactics as her character assesses the trustworthiness of Winston Smith.  Through these actions, the extent of her character’s intelligence, cunning, and emotional depth is constructed right before our eyes.  Mr. Sturridge is relentless and unwavering in his character’s belief and understanding of truth.  Reed Birney plays O’Brien, the man these two characters meet in their quest.  Mr. Birney’s portrayal of O’Brien is commanding and cold.  The encounter and subsequent journey of these characters is gripping, surprising, and unnerving. 

Reed Birney, Olivia Wilde, & Tom Sturridge
Photo courtesy of 1984

One scene stands out in particular.  O’Brien is questioning Winston and Julie to test their loyalty.   Winston quickly answers yes to all questions to verify his level of sacrifice.  He will willingly agree to throw acid in the face of a child and give up his life for his belief in truth.  Is our hero a terrorist?  Suddenly Winston’s unwavering beliefs become questionable.  What is right?  Who is good?  From this point on, everything becomes uncertain.

When pressed, O’Brien explains to Winston that Big Brother is not a person who watches, but the paranoid belief implanted by the party to make you feel as if your own words, actions, and memories are questionable.  Big Brother is you.  The party can be destroyed by simply not participating in it.  On the train on the way home from the theatre I saw the poster, “If you see something, say something.”  This campaign ensures our safety.  We see it every day.  We believe in it.    

Photo courtesy of 1984

Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan have taken George Orwell’s futuristic dystopian warning even more forward in time in order for it to hit a direct bullseye in the present.  This production makes us question.  George Orwell would be proud.  I want to see it again!

Domenick Danza

1984 is playing at the newly renovated Hudson Theatre in 44^th Street.  The renovation is refreshing, spacious and open.  Be sure to check it out!