Actually, to tell the truth, I don't think I should really say much about CSC's Ivanov, directed by Austin Pendleton and starring Ethan Hawke. I didn't realize when I received the ticket that I would be seeing the first preview. So it doesn't seem right to me to 'review' a first preview. I'll just make a couple of observations...
I saw the Lincoln Center production of Ivanov, starring Kevin Kline, that played about fifteen years ago, featuring an adaptation by David Hare. I remember enjoying the production, finding Kevin Kline's central performance quite affecting, even though the character of Ivanov can be trying and hard to get behind. It's really a tightrope to walk, to make an audience feel for Ivanov's intertia and self-loathing without wanting to slap him to make him stop whining! I thought Kline walked that tightrope beautifully.
As for last night's performance, I think the performers were all in different stages of readiness. The older performers, most especially Louis Zorich, George Morfogen and Roberta Maxwell, were already terrific and can only get more wonderful as the previews continue. I see no reason to doubt the other actors will get there eventually. It's eerie how much Joely Richardson sounds like her late sister and looks like her mother. Her performance as Ivanov's wife was lovely. It did occur to me that perhaps everyone was trying just a little too hard last night, since it was their first night in front of an audience. Unsurprising, I guess. I'll be interested to go back and see it again after it opens.
I think the production is beautifully directed by Austin Pendleton, who finds the right rhythms and balances needed to bring Chekhov to life. There are definitely moments where you want to laugh and cry at the same time. I'm not sure how I feel about this adaptation - there were some jarring turns of phrase and some speeches seemed repetitive. The set design is nice, though I will admit that from the far side (where I was sitting), sometimes it looked like people were making entrances and exits through a wall instead of a door. That could've just been an optical illusion from my vantage point. The lighting seemed a little wonky from the side, too. I was disappointed to miss a key moment at the end because an actor was blocking my view, but I'm fairly positive it just couldn't be helped, because of the dimensions of the space. The costumes are lovely, especially the ingenue's dress in the final scene, and the sound design is terrific. The preshow cello music was evocative and set up the play very well. A funny moment though: I heard some church bells chiming and thought them a grand sound effect, but they turned out to be a ringtone of a lunkhead who forgot to turn off his cell phone. So I was annoyed at the lunkhead, but intrigued by the thought of finding those church bells as a ringtone...
Non-show-related: they've added a row of seats to the side sections, so the leg room is now practically non-existent. I started to worry about having one of those blood clots that start in your cramped legs and travels to your brain and gives you a stroke. Not a good thing to be worrying about as you're watching Chekhov. ;) The house was full, which was great, though a few people left at intermission. Thankfully, two of them were next to me, so I had more leg room in the second act. The show ran about three hours last night, but they'll definitely tighten that up. I thought the pacing was mainly good, though, and I was always engaged and never bored. They're already extended the run of the show, so ticket demand must be high. I hope I'll get the chance to see the show again, after it's been on its feet for a bit. Ivanov isn't done all that often, so I recommend using this opportunity to check out some early Chekhov.
No comments:
Post a Comment