Playwright: Tennessee Williams
At: American Theater Company,
1909 W. Byron
Phone: ( 773 ) 929-1031; $25-$30
Runs through: Nov. 6
Kudos to American Theater Company for kicking off its 21st season with one of Tennessee Williams' most complex, least-produced efforts. Orpheus Descending has almost as checkered a past as its hero, the guitar-strumming drifter, Valentine Xavier. Originally written as Battle of Angels in 1940, the play was lambasted by critics, causing it to fail in its tryouts, never seeing a New York stage. But something about the play haunted Williams, who continued to work and retool until it was presented again on Broadway in 1957 as Orpheus Descending ( perhaps it exerted such a pull on the playwright because he once referred to the play saying, 'You will find the trail of my sleeve-worn heart in this completed play.' ) . The play enjoyed moderate success, but its renown never equaled that of such works as The Glass Menagerie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, or A Streetcar Named Desire.
Thank God ( or whoever you pray to ) that director Damon Kiely had the good sense to see the power in Williams' tale of a handsome drifter's descent on a small, southern town and his effect on its townspeople, but especially on the woman who eventually employs him, Lady Torrance. Lady is lonely and love-starved and the arrival of this sexually-charged young man ignites a passion in her she thought had long ago died under the strains of an unhappy marriage to a dying man. Not only does Val Xavier ignite a spark within Lady, he ignites the spark that leads to a whole chain of events that end in numbing tragedy.
Kiely's vision of the play is completely on target ( a good example of this is Keith Pitts' scenic design, which boasts a cascade of mismatched chairs descending from the ceiling, as well as a staircase that takes center stage, both literally and figuratively ) . And Kiely is blessed with two amazing performers to inhabit his lead characters. Carmen Roman returns to ATC after a long hiatus to play Lady Torrance and she tears into the role with such sadness, despair, and sensuality that she leaves an indelible stamp on us, creating a portrait Williams himself, I'm sure, would have been proud of. Steve Key, appropriately winsome, yet completely a creature of sexual allure, makes Val Xavier his own, channeling the spirit of a young Marlon Brando ( who actually played the character in the film version of the play, The Fugitive Kind ) , while putting his own stamp on the character. These two alone generate enough heat and excitement to satisfy any theatergoer's wants, but Orpheus Descending is filled with fiery, frightening, and funny characters that revolve around the doomed couple, shaping and defining their fates. All turned in astonishing work, but particular standouts included Cheryl Graeff as Carol Cutrere, a presciently crazy woman in a tattered ball gown and Danielle Brothers, in a perfect turn as a southern visionary artist.
I'm the first to complain when a play runs on too long, having had the experience that most productions are better served with running times of two, or fewer, hours. Orpheus Descending, with two intermissions and clocking in at nearly three hours, never inspired me to check my watch … not even once.
