What I liked
The collective performance of the whole ensemble felt White Lotus Season 2-esque – you could viscerally feel the betrayal and manipulation and how it affected each of the characters. I’m a sucker for taking advantage of the in-between moments, where lines aren’t being spoken, and Marti Skoler excels at remaining present at all times. While “seen but not heard” in classic butler fashion as Berte, the subtlety of her constant, full engagement gave the audience something exciting to watch without detracting from the main storyline, her POV clearly written on her face. Meg Cashel’s fast, sharp and deadpan delivery as Hedda as well as Conor Murphy’s smooth and domineering physicality made a play originally written in 1890 feel as natural as your favorite sweater. All of the actors had wonderful chemistry with each other, demanding our attention on the fact that as far as gender roles and expectations go (and how scary un-therapized straight men can be), not much has changed. I lost count of the moments where I witnessed other audience members nodding emphatically to points being made.
Lastly, in the performance I attended, I think a drink tray was dropped on accident but it worked so well for that scene that it could’ve been part of the blocking, but if it wasn’t, it should be. Also, I LOVED the use of the balloons. I’d go into further detail why, but that would be a spoiler.
What I didn't like
I know this was a modern adaptation (with a magical realism twist – delicious) of a play originally written in the 1890’s, but I wish there were more context clues to establish and clarify when this was happening or maybe even where this took place. A moment that comes to mind is sending a letter out to one of the characters (forgive me I don’t remember which one(s)) – why would calling or texting be ruled out? Maybe being in a rural, conservative area? Or were phones were not invented yet? This is a very nitpicky directoral preference on my part, but I believe this establishment will help drive home the point that the issues being talked about in this play are still very much relevant to today.
My overall impression
If you love good ‘ol classic theatre to sink your teeth into, you won’t want to miss this fresh take on a juicy classic.
