Reviewed
by Judy Richter
The death of a parent can often be the catalyst for adult children to dredge up old grudges and resentments, especially when it comes time to clean out the family home. The Franz family has plenty of bad feelings in Arthur Miller's "The Price," presented by Aurora Theatre Company.
In
this case, the Franz brothers, Victor (Charles Dean), a 50-year-old police officer
considering retirement; and Walter (Michael Santo), a successful surgeon, have
been estranged with no contact for 16 years. After unsuccessful efforts to call
his brother, Victor has asked an antiques dealer, Gregory Solomon (Ray
Reinhardt), to
give him a price to buy everything in his late father's flat. Victor is
accompanied by his wife, Esther (Judith Marx). Victor and Gregory are close
to concluding a deal when Walter shows up.
Under
the skillful direction of Joy Carlin, this talented cast of longtime Bay Area actors captures
the emotional ebb and flow of Miller's script as their characters air their
feelings. Dean as Victor is at the center of the push and pull as Walter tries
to make amends, Esther urges him to get as much money as possible and Mr.
Solomon tries to seal the deal and stay out of the way of the verbal sparring.
Reinhardt is especially impressive as the crafty, 89-year-old Mr. Solomon.
Although
the three family members reveal a lot of information about themselves, the past
and the present and although Miller presents the ending one way, there's some
ambiguity as he leaves the door open to future developments. He also gives the
audience a lot to ponder in speculating about where the brothers and Esther
might go from there. This is a fascinating play beautifully performed on Richard
Olmsted's set
with its piles of furniture in back, enhanced by Jon Retsky's mood-setting lighting, Nancy
Pipkin's
costumes and Chris Houston's music and sound. It's a great start to Aurora's 14th
season.