Not a
single audience member could hide from the games of George and Martha at Edward
Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? now open at the Booth Theatre.
Direct from Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company, this unique take on a well
known Albee classic – directed by Tony-nominated Pam MacKinnon – had members of
the audience on the edge of their seat as they quickly became participants of
wild party games that expose the innermost truths within us.
…Virginia
Woolf takes us into the “dump” of a home of the dynamic
duo, George (Tracy Letts) and Martha (Amy Morton). George, an unfulfilled
history professor at the local college, and Martha, the witty daughter of the
president of the college, invite over a new professor and his wife for some
after-party cocktails to welcome and get acquainted with the newcomers. Nick
(Madison Dirks) and Honey (Carrie Coon), however, discover that their host and
hostess are ready to serve more than Brandy and Bourbon. Through witty
storytelling, clever romp, and playful banter, we learn the history of George
and Martha including what keeps this couple going strong. Unlike most
idealistic couples, their mind games through role playing and insulting each
other are what fuels their passion and desire. Initially, we are led to believe
that Nick and Honey are a sharp contrast of their hosts: young, idealistic, vital,
new generation brilliance; however, throughout their night, we learn about the
dark past of the young couple and find that these four human beings have much
more in common than they originally thought. As the night progresses, these
four become stripped of their dignity and forced to enter a world of honesty
and truthfulness, leading us to believe that all games must come to an end
despite the consequences.
The
vibrant storytelling provided by Albee’s text could have easily fallen flat in
unworthy hands; however, this was not the case. Tony-nominated Amy Morton (August: Osage County) bares the soul of
Martha before she even appears onstage with a contagious laugh that bursts through
the front door. I would be remiss to say that Morton creates a “likable”
Martha, but that she makes this woman relatable. Martha becomes a woman that
you could easily run into at a family gathering and become the life of the
party with a story for every soul. The ease, poise, and timing of her moves has
you hanging on every word spoken; this was key to the successful portrayal of
every line of subtext that existed below the façade of the couple’s antics.
Pulitzer
Prize- and Tony Award-winning Tracy Letts (playwright of August: Osage County) creates a George who matches Martha’s wit
with a rough hilarity. Most notable is Letts’ ability to create an atmosphere
where comfort and warmth could quickly transform into cold, bone-chilling fear
in the blink of an eye. Letts’ George is eloquent and sophisticated with a shot
of vulgarity that bursts out, demanding your complete attention. George not
only gave you a history lesson, he made you a prisoner that kept you thirsty
for more – a Stockholm-esque characteristic. Letts makes bold choices that take
the character of George and his onlookers deeper into the psyche of humankind,
forcing you to question when enough is enough.
As a
couple, Morton and Letts have a fiery chemistry that can only be described as
flawless. Rapid-fire insults, unscripted inside jokes in their physicality, and
brutal honesty is what makes this couple not only believable, but loveable. You
can’t help but laugh at the brutality of their “Georgie-boy” and “Yes, love”
lines. While we understand that these two teeter on the brink of insanity,
their love for each other is genuine.
Broadway
newcomers Madison Dirks (television’s Chicago
Fire) and Carrie Coon (television’s The
Playboy Club) create exactly what the party needs, a young George and young
Martha; complete with their own skeletons in the closet. Dirks creates a Nick
that tries relentlessly to maintain face and integrity despite his youth,
attempting to hide naivety. Unfortunately for Nick, his wife Honey has enough
naivety to fill the entire college. Coon brings a not-so “mousy” interpretation
of the character Honey, allowing her wild side to come up a bit sooner than
maybe anticipated. Unlike George and Martha, Nick and Honey seem to already be
in a bit a rocky situation in regards to moving on through life. Dirks and Coon
exemplify this in a way that fits well with not only their portrayal, but in
their chemistry with Letts and Morton.
Pam MacKinnon’s (Clybourne
Park) overall direction is a crucial part to this unique production. The
audience is taken on a 3-hour roller coaster ride that had you thinking ever
second of whether you were going to a fall freely, slow down, accelerate and so
on. The seamless transitions and game hopping is a must to keep the audience
invested in these characters’ downward spiral. Something as simple as a hair
pull, a lost temper, or an added glare made this production not just dynamic
but distinctive; the stripping down of characters to their bare minds is
essential.
To house this insanity is a cleverly pieced-together set as well
as a simply effective light design. Award-winning Todd Rosenthal (The Motherfucker with the Hat) proves
that sets today can be still be thoughtful and eloquent while being functional.
This realistic set clearly proves that both Martha and George had a say in who
was designing the room: some mismatched furniture and blankets, an
expressionistic painting on one wall and a landscape painting on another, and
Martha’s magazines along with George’s books and novels. The final element is a
subtle yet effective light design by award winner Allan Lee Hughes (Clybourne Park). Like the set, the light
design is very realistic but captivates each moment expressively without being
distracting. Hughes creates subtle light changes that do not only match the
action but intensifies and amplifies the characters’ anger, fears, and
frustrations.
Steppenwolf’s production Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
is a remarkable piece of art that will leave you breathless from the beginning
of each act to the end. Every element of this production is intelligent, witty,
clever, and enigmatic, which make for amazing theatre.
