November 15, 2008

  • Wow

    Virginia Woolf is going to be amazing. I'm not saying that just because I'm in it. Faithful readers know that I don't always give my own shows props, especially early in the rehearsal process. This show is so well written and so well cast and directed that I believe anyone who takes the time to check it out will be amply rewarded. It is also the most difficult character I have ever attempted to portray. Previously I thought that Victor in An Empty Plate in the Grand Cafe du Boeuf was the most difficult and challenging role and indeed that role was incredibly daunting. This role is harder. The character of George, in addition to having 1,000,000 lines, changes mood and tempo a good deal. He needs to be strong and vulnerable, mean and endearing; it's a workout.

    Lou Stallsworth cast this thing very well. I don't think that he had the kind of turnout he desired and it seemed that he was a bit tentative in his final decisions, but the cast has proven to be winners all. Ruth Markoe is going to open eyes when she gets going in a role that is probably one of the best for a female "of a certain age." I mean the roles get skinnier for all of us as we age and George and Ruth are rare examples of nuanced and intelligent roles for us old folks. Dan Siegel is proving his mettle as Nick; an ambitious young professor locked in a relationship that in some ways echoes the relationship of George and Martha. He's a worthy opponent. Ashley Stuart is just going to kill the audience with her dead on portrayal of a lost and needy neurotic who is every bit as manipulative as Martha but in a more passive/aggressive manner (as opposed to Martha's in-your-face aggression).

    I love the fact that this show is rarely done in community theater. I've never seen it and I believe most of our audience, if familiar at all with the show, is so because of the movie starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Unlike many of my colleagues who tend to sneer at movie interpretations of plays, I was bowled over by the movie version and I've always dreamed of playing George. The play is much more intense however and the emotional impact, much greater. Mark your calendars. It opens January 9 at Kelsey Theater.

    In other news, I'm attending my (gasp) 40th High School Reunion tonight! More on this tomorrow!