Reviewed by Judy Richter
Even though Edward Albee is one of the nation's premiere
living playwrights, the Bay Area hadn't seen a production of his "Tiny
Alice"
since American Conservatory Theater staged it as the opener of its 1975-76 season. Now Marin
Theatre Company is
re-examining it in a superbly acted production directed by artistic director Jasson
Minadakis.
The
ACT production was controversial almost from the start because the playwright,
after seeing a preview, objected to the way the since-deceased William Ball rewrote the third act. Albee
threatened to halt the opening but relented after ACT agreed to read his
disavowal before the production. However, Ball, the company's founder and
artistic director, failed to do so. Albee's subsequent lawsuit failed, but he
and ACT agreed that the company would pay him double royalties. Hence, ACT
didn't produce an Albee play until "The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia?" in 2005.
The
current Marin production is authorized by Albee, but both it and the ACT
production that I saw remain enigmatic at the core. However, the Marin
production has the advantage of right-on casting of all five actors, while only
four of ACT's five actors could handle the demands of their roles. Moreover,
Minadakis underplays the hints of homosexuality while Ball played them up.
The
central story remains the same: The Lawyer (Rod Gnapp) goes to the Cardinal (Richard
Farrell) to say
that a very rich woman, Miss Alice (Carrie Paff), wants to give the church $1
billion this year and another $1 billion a year for the next 19 years. The one
catch is that the Lawyer wants one of the Cardinal's aides, a lay brother, to
go to Miss Alice's home to take care of the final details.
This
opening scene alone is worth the price of admission as Gnapp and Farrell barely
disguise the loathing their characters have had for each other ever since they
were in school together. It's also clear that neither is particularly strong in
the ethics department. Still, the Cardinal agrees to have his aide, Brother
Julian (Andrew Hurteau), finalize the details.
Things
get murky after that. Perhaps they boil down to questions of faith and man's
relationship to his god as well as reality vs. illusion. Certainly those are
the questions that Julian has struggled with in the past and that he is forced
to confront even more directly, especially as Miss Alice works her erotic
charms on him. In the meantime, it's not clear why this is happening and what
the relationships are among the Lawyer, Miss Alice and their henchman, Butler (Mark
Anderson Phillips),
the butler.
In
the end, the viewer is left with far more questions than answers, but there's
no doubt about the dramatic power of this production and its terrific actors,
each seemingly tailor made for his or her role.
Production
values add to the enjoyment. Central to the production is the large scale model
of Miss Alice's mansion that dominates many scenes. It was created by scenic
designer J.B. Wilson, whose otherwise simple sets facilitate scene changes. Fumiko
Bielefeldt designed
the costumes, which are highlighted by Paff's flattering dresses and Farrell's
elaborate robes as the Cardinal. Lighting by Kurt Landisman and sound and music by Chris
Houston enhance
the mood of each scene.
Because
it's so talky and so puzzling, this isn't an easy play to sit through, but it
does allow for much reflection afterward. During the production itself, one can
revel in the acting and direction.