Review by Lanny Parks:
In one of his most often quoted poems, Langston Hughes asks, “What happens to a dream deferred?” Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? could be his answer.
A professor(George) and his wife (Martha) return from a ‘meet the new faculty’ cocktail party at the home of the college president, who just happens to be her father. It’s very late, and the sparks of bickering flicker throughout their conversation – or, rather, their talking at each other. By the time she announces that she has invited one of the newcomers and his wife to join them for a(nother) drink, they are already deep into their sparring.
Nick, the new biology associate, is young and brash; his wife Honey is his mousy appendage. Clearly, Nick has a plan for his academic upward mobility, and he believes that Martha is going to be a big part of it. What he does not count on is that Martha and George have their own agendas. Soon the four of them are embroiled in a devastating dance in which epees are exchanged for rapiers, and the sparks of their clashing, verbal thrusts generate a conflagration that leads to the inevitable explosion.
First and foremost is the brilliant casting. Director Gil Rambach has assembled a troupe of veterans who bring this production to rich and vivid life. Brianna Johnson as Honey is the epitome of the sorority girl who married the BMOC and immediately faded into his shadow. Lyle Pinder as Nick is the man who allows nothing to stand in the way of his own imagined future success. They are perfectly paired, and their unravelling as both individuals and as a couple is measured and devastating.
George and Martha are intrinsically entwined, and it is impossible to imagine either of them without the other. That is also true of the performances of Brad Chaires and Jen Friedman. They feed off of each other and support each other as if they have been locked in this script all their lives. As George, Brad has now become a rock-solid stage presence, his silent body language every bit as important as his words and the emotions with which they are spoken. For those who know Jen only for her comedic talent, this is a tour de force of dramatic brilliance. She is the bundle of contradictions that Martha has become, and her incredible range is on full display. Kudos to this amazing pair!
This is not a play for the faint of heart. It is as exhausting to watch as it is to perform; the intensity on stage is experienced by everyone in the audience. It is also not a play for amateurs. Fortunately, this cast is professional all the way. The projected pain of the characters is palpable, and the audience can only hold its collective breath in suspended time and space as they become voyeurs of the carnage. The explosion will be felt by everyone, on and off the stage. BOOM! Poof!
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is live at the Garfield Center for the Arts at the Prince Theater on High Street in Chestertown for the next two weekends. Shows Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00, Sunday matinees at 2:00. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for seniors and military (current and former), and $10 for students. This show is not recommended for those under the age of 16, but everyone else who loves theater should not miss it.