Somewhere inside of me I hear a voice warning â Respect your elders!â I have to ignore that voice because all the actors playing in Long Dayâs Journey into Night are elder than I. Maybe I can go about this in a respectful wayâŠBut Iâve heard that the truth shall set me freeâŠArgh! What to do?
The set for this piece was astonishing. I was so overwhelmed by the stage and set design that I took several pictures on my phone. I wanted to revisit these later like a handful of shells collected during a day at the beach. These pictures of the beautiful set would be a nice reminder of a wonderful experience. I was so excited by the scenery and set that my expectations jumped even higher than they already were. I mean this is an American classic; a heartbreaking look into a familyâs struggle to deal with substance addiction. Iâve been looking for someone to bring the pain. Here it was; the perfect play for some pain to be brought. Sadly the set was the most painful (astonishingly good) part of this production.
Ellen Geer played the role of a suffering Mary Tyrone with a certain flightiness. A trait the mother needs. Yet somehow Geer didnât quite settle into the role. She may have made the choice to avoid any trace of connection from the real world to show just how far gone the mother is into her illness. But even in a role like this there needs to be a connection. There has to be something grounding the actor for the sake of the audience. Otherwise we canât grasp the full breadth of the characterâs struggle. If the audience canât connect to a character they (the character) is superfluous. All I wanted was a glimpse, a peak into the world where the mother was connected and lucid. It didnât have to be long, and would probably have been incongruent if it was. But we must see an opposite when a character is charged so far to one pole. In this case the mother being so far off her rocker could have been grounded by a few simple moments of clarity and presence. Iâm sure Geer is capable of just that. Maybe sheâll find it as the play runs longer.
William Dennis Hunt was effortless and masterful as the Patriarch James Tyrone. He anchored the rest of the slightly off kilter cast. He made the play palatable, well, he and the structure and beautiful words given us by Mr. OâNeill. But enough has been said about the play itself. Huntâs performance was a delight plain and simple.
Jim LeFave on the other hand didnât quite make sense as Jaime Tyrone. Iâm not sure where he went wrong in his performance but it bled into everything he did. Maybe the role was miscast. His use of the language was awkward and stale. When he called âMamaâ or âPapaâ I could see the words written on the page. Where was the connection to the moment? Where was the subtly to the relationship between an alcoholic son and his highly dysfunctional parents? Every time he uttered those words should have been his chance to break our hearts a little more. Thatâs what we needed from him. Instead we were left with bricks of letters tossed into the audience. It was offensive. He threw what could have been an ok production in itâs first weekend finding itâs legs into a tail spin. Any time he did or said anything I found it hard to care. Only the beautiful structure of the piece saved him from figuratively killing himself.
Aaron Hendry and Nina Kurtz played their roles well enough to save them from any harsh criticism. Hendry as Edmund had a nice simplicity to him. His cadence of speech was interesting half the time and distracting the other half. Maybe solving the characters illness factored into his speech patterns. Iâm interested to see where he goes with his performance in the weeks to follow. Kurtz as Cathleen was funny and enjoyable. Neither of them were standouts and neither of them crashed and burned.
I sometimes wish good acting was as technical as playing a difficult piece of classical music. If you play the right notes with the right attack at the right tempo youâre pretty solid. Yet in acting if you say the right words and do the âcorrectâ movements on the stage you can still be completely lost. Thereâs a life and an understanding you must have as a good actor. A subtly and a stubbornness to not be rushed or slowed down when you know youâre doing something right. For whatever reason we allow classic pieces to be played at by amateurs and thatâs confusing to me. Would we willfully go see a production of swan lake performed by a half rate ballet company? Unless a young relative is performing in it I say no. Why donât we demand the same of our theatre?
This piece is heartbreaking. This piece is a classic. This piece has a lot of words. You really have to be a badass to not get thrown by the pressure of any let alone all of these things. This play will do good business because of itâs reputation. The production isnât quite badass though. Maybe in the coming weeks the actors will find their power and grace. I hope so because there is a gold mine of potential in a play like this.
Sadly I donât feel free. This truth above is no substitute for an epic theatre experience. Iâd much rather trade the latter for the former. I still want someone to bring the painâŠ
WHO:
Written by Eugene O’Neill
Directed by Heidi Helen Davis
Starring Ellen Geer, Aaron Hendry, William Dennis Hunt, Jim LeFave
Presented by The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
WHEN:
July 26 through September 27:
Fridays at 8 pm: August 1; September 5, 12, 19, 26
Saturdays at 8 pm: July 26 (Opening Night); August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; September 6, 13, 20, 27
WHERE:
The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Topanga CA 90290
(midway between Pacific Coast Highway and the Ventura Freeway)
HOW:
(310) 455-3723 or www.theatricum.com
TICKETS:
Adults: $28 (lower tier); $20 (Upper tier)
Seniors, Students, Iraq war veterans, Equity: $20/$15
Herta’s Roundtable Discussion: $15 (includes refreshments, all proceeds benefit the Herta Ware Scholarship Fund)
OTHER:
The outdoor amphitheater at The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is terraced into the hillside of the rustic canyon. Audience members are advised to dress casually (warmly for evenings) and bring cushions for bench seating. Snacks are available at the Hamlet Hut, and picnickers are welcome before and after the performance.
Review by By Dutch K.
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