Reviewed
by Judy Richter
Kathleen Turner may be the big draw, but co-star Bill
Irwin is every
bit her equal or perhaps better in "Who's Afraid of Virginia
Woolf?"
Arriving in San Francisco, the national tour of the 2005 Broadway revival of Edward
Albee's 1962
drama makes that point clear. Or perhaps that's the impression that emerges
after more than three hours of watching the momentous verbal battle between
married combatants Martha and George. George begins to gain the upper hand in
this round in part because he remains sober in this 2004 revision of the
script.
Irwin
won a Tony for his performance as George, an associate professor of history at
the small Eastern college presided over by Martha's father. Although Martha and
George have long had a contentious relationship, it's apparent that both of
them gain some measure of satisfaction from the arguments and insults, which
have become a game for them. For the most part, Martha has more power than
George because she's the president's daughter, but that power is somewhat
diluted by what appears to be her alcoholism.
On
this particular night, they have been at a faculty party hosted by her father
for new faculty members and their wives. (Remember, this is 1960, when far
fewer women taught at the college level.) When they return home at 2 a.m.,
George is exhausted and just wants to go to bed, but Martha informs him that
they're about to have guests. She has invited Nick, new to the biology
department, and his wife, Honey, over for a nightcap. The battle commences upon
the arrival of the younger couple, both in their 20s.
Albee
has named Act 1 "Fun and Games," Act 2 "Walpurgisnacht" and
Act 3 "The Exorcism." The names are apt, for Act 1 is something of a
lighter, more humorous version of George and Martha's bickering. Act 2 becomes
more vicious, like the diabolical revelry that is an English translation for
"Walpurgisnacht." Act 3 is when George truly asserts his strength and
takes a huge risk by ending his and Martha's most co-dependent game, which
involves a son.
David
Furr as Nick and
Kathleen Early as
Honey, his simpering wife, take a journey of their own as they observe and then
to some extent take part in Martha and George's issues. Furr reveals the raw
ambition that lies just beneath Nick's good looks, while Early shows hints of
the manipulativeness beneath the mousey surface of Honey, a difficult role
because it's the smallest.
As
directed by Anthony Page, the action sometimes lags, especially in the men's conversation in
Act 1. The cavernous Golden Gate Theatre also works against the production,
resulting in a loss of intimacy and distancing much of the audience from the
characters. John Lee Beatty's living room set, lighted by Peter Kaczorowski, helps somewhat by not extending
to the wings. Jane Greenwood's costumes establish the '60s mileau. The sound, which
ran into audibility problems in Act 3, is by Mark Bennett and Michael Creason.
One
of the joys of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" is that each
production seems to find new meaning or add new understanding for the audience.
That's the case here as George and Martha try to get through their marital
minefield to venture into new territory that may or may not be better for them.