THE BASICS: Edward Albee’s brooding domestic drama, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1967, has been lovingly revived by the Irish Classical Theatre Company (ICTC) in a production directed by Derek Campbell. BALANCE continues weekends through May 13th. Be patient during the long first half; things really start to percolate after the ten minute intermission…
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: This one courtesy of Wikipedia: “The uneasy existence of upper middle-class suburbanites Agnes and Tobias and their permanent houseguest, Agnes’ witty alcoholic sister Claire, is disrupted by the sudden appearance of lifelong family friends Harry and Edna… who ask to stay with them to escape an unnamed terror. They soon are followed by Agnes and Tobias’s bitter 36-year-old daughter Julia, who returns home following the collapse of her fourth marriage.”
THE CAST, THE PLAY AND THE PRODUCTION: A bunch of heavy hitters have been assembled for this one. Josephine Hogan is (no surprise) pretty unsympathetic in the unsympathetic role of Agnes. Hey, who goes all mushy over these rigid, bossy, critical, keeping-it-all-together types? Ms. Hogan seems more comfortable in the second half, when her costumes fit better, and Mr. Albee rewards her with a few passages of poetic, reflective despair. (PS: Could we please lose the wig? A world-class fretter like Agnes deserves a head of natural graying hair!) Vincent O’Neill is in top form as Tobias, the sorrowful, sophisticated Suburban Squire who has settled, but who is still capable of dredging up some inner fire. Kudos also to Maureen Porter, who has not been seen much lately on WNY stages, and who provides a lot of punch as the wisecracking, hard-boozing Claire. Her brief musical moments in the second half are a very happy surprise. Morgan Chard is just fine as Julia, the immature, emotionally labile, failure-to-launch daughter. Colleen Gaughan too fills the bill as Edna, the prim and proper old friend with a surprising aggressive streak. Peter Palmisano’s Harry doesn’t show enough of the bluster that the other characters speak of, but is otherwise admirable.
Age has not withered A DELICATE BALANCE. Forty five years after its premiere, it is as cunning and disturbing as ever. In fact, it may play even better in the 21st century! Derek Campbell gets good range from his players, and incorporates enough movement to keep the existential ennui from morphing into zzzzzzzzz. A lot of interesting ideas swirl around during the course of the show; don’t be surprised to find yourself chewing on them afterward. Ron Schwartz has done a good job conjuring a “well appointed suburban house” out of practically nothing, and Tom Makar amplifies our sense of unease with some eerie solo piano music. In summary, here’s an excellent revival of a powerful, important American play. Discerning theatergoers will not want to miss it.
*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)
ONE BUFFALO:This means trouble.A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both.Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.
TWO BUFFALOS:Passable, but no great shakes.Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic.Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.
THREE BUFFALOS:I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater.If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.
FOUR BUFFALOS:Both the production and the play are of high caliber.If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.
FIVE BUFFALOS:Truly superb–a rare rating.Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart.Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!