CurtainUp
The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
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CurtainUp The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
Annotated Listings |
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A CurtainUp Review
Chekhov/Tolstoy: Love Stories
It must have seemed like a good idea for the Mint Theatre to pair - The Artist and Michael - where Malleson has already had successes with two of his own plays Conflict and Yours . It turns out to be not such a good idea. There are lots of reasons why the literary form and the dramatic form don't make for a marriage made in heaven and Malleson's efforts in both cases are unfortunate validations. They survive best as curiosities from a zealous adapter. The Mint, whose reputation for resurrecting and giving new life to neglected plays of yore, has staged two that can be generously described as ponderous and boring. These two plays provide ample evidence why the lofty spiritual and philosophical themes as expressed in them are not dramatically viable. The Chekhov is filled to the brim with social grandstanding while the Tolstoy is no more than a mawkishly performed spiritual allegory. The Artist as directed by Jonathan Banks, is mainly hampered by long empty pauses and a lack of energy from a cast that simply cannot find a way to inject their words with life. In it, a world-weary artist is painting a landscape on the grounds of an estate wherein live two daughters and their mother. Inclined out of courtesy to converse with him, the older daughter makes clear she is a realist and social activist while her younger sister appears to have no interest to occupying her thoughts beyond her loneliness. The artist has plenty to say about the value of art being the only savior of society while the older girl refutes his mostly abstract point of view. The mother takes things into her own hands when a romance is apparently kindled despite no chemistry between the artist and the youngest daughter. Curtain. Michael ,as directed by Jane Shaw, is so stilted in performance that its message is lost before it has barely has begun. It is the kindness shown to a stranger by a poor cobbler and his wife that propels its allegorical story. Magical, mystical and inexplicable things happen to them as their good deeds are rewarded in the end by an arch angel sent to earth for redemption. If I refrain from naming the performers, or the designer who attired them, it is out of my own need for redemption. At the performance I attended, the actors sounded as if they were off book for the first time...despite this being the last preview before opening night. There is bound to be some curiosity from the audience given the original authors repute and how each play does consider what makes life worth living. What this production doesn't consider is the precious amount of time in one's life that has been given up for its consideration. |
Search CurtainUp in the box below PRODUCTION NOTES Chekhov/Tolstoy: Love Stories The Artist Directed by Jonathan Banks Michael Directed by Jane Shaw The Artist Cast: Alexander Sokovikov (Nicov), Anna Lentz (Genya), Brittany Anikka Liu (Lidia), J. Paul Nicholas (Bylekurov), Katie Firth (Mother) Michael Cast: Katie Firth (Matryona), Vinie Burrows (Aniuska), J. Paul Nicholas (Simon), Malik Reed (Michael), Alexander Sokovikov (A Russian Noble), Anna Lentz (His Servant), Brittany Anikka Liu (A Woman) Sets: Roger Hanna Costumes: Oana Botez Lights: Mathew Richards Original Music & Sound: Jane Shaw Stage Manager: Andrea Jess Berkey Running Time: 90 minutes without intermission Mint Theatre, Theatre Row, 410 W. 42nd Street From 01/23/20 Opened 02/10/20 Ends 03/14/20 Review by Simon Saltzman based on performance 02/09/20 REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
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