File Under: A Street Car Named Desire at WTFest

Anyone who has ever by vocation or avocation practiced the dramatic arts sees each performance from that perspective and tries to learn from it.  Last night at the Williamstown Theater Festival, I witnessed a master class.  This production of "A Street Car Named Desire," has brought the piece to a new level of intimacy and subtlety.  The choice of director David Cromer, to bring part of the audience on to the back side of the stage, made for a performance that lent itself more to the sense of eavesdropping and prurient peeking, than that of watching a play.

The set is much like an aquarium, with no place for the actors to cheat to.  I often found myself making eye contact with the performers.  Luckily, I was fully engaged in them so I didn't feel odd about it.  Don't sit on the stage in the front row unless you are ok with this.

When I heard that Jessica Hecht would play Blanche DuBois, I knew I was in for a nuanced and sympathetic performance, but she brought the fractured mind of Ms. Dubois to an unsettling reality.  She fully realized the mood swings and Blache's efforts to maintain a grip on those few last strands of dignity and self.

Stanley Kowalski is a character that is all too often played as an unsympathetic lout.  Not so with Sam Rockwell's performance.  I expected nothing less from an actor who understands the payoff of a character built on the foundation of human subtlety.  Sam made Stan a person, not a character.  A man whose life has been turned upside down without warning, by an in-law, who thinks him an ape.  It's hard not to sympathise with his feelings, if not his actions.  For Stanley Kowalski does many despicable things, yet through Sam's interpretation, you can grasp at the edges of the motivation, yet still deplore those things.

Ana Reeder did a fine turn as Stella, not portraying a shrinking flower, but a woman who is strong in her own right and undeniably in love with Stanley, for better or worse.  I should also mention, Daniel Stewart Sherman, as Mitch.  He brought forth a man of sensitivity and patience, a counterpoint to the self-focused and impulsive Kowalski.  In the final scene, his sorrow and distaste, for what has transpired, is heart wrenching.

The actors that rounded out the cast were all on point.  Each presenting well crafted characters to support the leads.

I don't know if this show is sold out yet, but you need to go get tickets now.

Update: There is a lot of smoking by the actors during the show (duh it's set in 1947), therefore asthmatics should avoid the on stage seats.  The wife is still a little tight through the chest.

File Under: Homeless Man Under Pressure

File Under: "The Last Goodbye" WTF

Last night my wife and I attended the first night performance of "The Last Goodbye" at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. This piece born from The Bard's "Romeo and Juliet" and Jeff Buckley's music was mid-wifed by adapter/director Michael Kimmel (for more on the back ground read here). Right off the bat, this union is treading dangerous lands. The fans of both works would not be a silent bunch if they felt that justice had not been done. As a (non-rabid) fan of both, I feel that the crafting of this production was done with love and care for the source material. Although the blending is not always seamless, it is never jarring and will be smoother as the production matures. I will be so bold as to say that Shakes was still the master of this domain. Even though the lyrics and textures of Buckley's work are beyond that of so many musicians, they don't always keep pace with that of William S. However, Leonard Cohen interpreted by Jeff Buckley ("Hallelujah") overcame the centuries old wordsmith.

The technical side of the production was very well done, with only a couple of issues for my part. The spot operators were not always as even of hand as they could be. I was more than a few times distracted by them trying to find their prey. I'm sure that will smooth out with more shows. The other complaint may or may not be directed to the sound board. Both my wife and I had a hard time hearing Tybalt (Ashley Robinson) during "Haven't You Heard." I had no problem hearing this fine young actor at other points in the performance, so I am lead to believe, it was the mix that caused his voice to be lost in the music.

One, can't discuss this performance without mentioning the choreography of Sonya Tayeh (So You Think You Can Dance). I can tell you it's not for everyone, her work is often disquieting and finds it's beauty in a darker place. It is therefore perfectly suited for the gathering storm of this piece. The cast executed at varying levels of competence, I won't break each down but I would like to point out Jo Lampert (Mercutio), as an amazing dancer.

The singing, oh my the singing. Not always pitch perfect, but definitely in the moment, definitely inside the character and more than enough to drive the theme and elicit an emotional response from the audience. The entire cast was vocally up to the challenge, but once again Jo Lampert (Mercutio) blew me away with the strength of her performance. E and I were agreed that she veritably stole the first act by the power of her work. I would also like to note Celina Carvajal (Rosaline) for having an amazing set of pipes and Nick Blaemire (Benvolio) for doing justice to the beloved "Hallelujah," which closed out the play, well done sir.

To be honest, I went into this most worried about the Shakespeare. I'm a picky, picky man when it comes to the performance of his works. So often the nuances of pain and humor are lost for some reason. Not so in this case, either through the director's efforts or that of the cast, they found them. They mined them out and set them forth to my laughter and heartache. To be honest, I could have watched this cast perform the original "Romeo and Juliet," and been perfectly content.

My wife has said that she has read and seen "Romeo and Juliet" several times and has never so desperately wanted the ending to be different. This performance so moved her, that she truly felt for these "star crossed lovers" and their plight. Let's face it, we've all wished them dead during a particularly bad performance, so to have moist eyes at the conclusion is a truly momentous occasion.

In all, Michael Kimmel has brought forth a work that has blended the best of two masters into one hell of a theatrical force. I have little doubt that this show will move to Broadway (cast intact please), and that Tony nominations will be forth coming. I highly suggest you find a way to see this play before it closes out in Williamstown, you better call soon, I hear they're around 90% sold out.