When I moved back to New York in 1995, the first show I saw (after standing in line at TKTS) was The Heiress, starring Cherry Jones. I'd never seen the play before, but the movie has always been one of my favorites. And I totally should've played Catherine in my long-gone ingenue days. But Cherry Jones, and that whole production, was spectacular. I remember being spellbound and breathless throughout and I became a rabid Cherry Jones fan for life. When I heard that a revival was being planned, I thought, "Why see it? I saw an amazing production already."
But when my boss asked if I'd like to attend today's matinee of The Heiress with him, I was happy to say yes. It seemed silly to skip the show, and I do always enjoy David Strathairn and Judith Ivey, plus, I've been known to quietly squeal like a fangirl at the sight of Dan Stevens as Cousin Matthew on Downton Abbey. I've never seen Jessica Chastain before, though. Although she's been in (seemingly) hundreds of films, I've not seen any of them yet. So, I had no preconceived notions about her performance, other than she seemed a little too beautiful to play the awkward Catherine Sloper.
On the whole, thanks to the soundness of the script, the revival acquits itself nicely. This play just works like gangbusters - it's a well-made melodrama, produced with care. If it didn't have the star-spangled highlights, thrills and chills of the 1995 revival, I guess you can't have everything.
David Strathairn is terrific as Dr. Sloper - he effortlessly portrays this complex man who treats his daughter so cruelly, yet has affection for the 'idea' of her. He's a cerebral man, who's lived in his past and his imagination for so many years that he just can't see what's really in front of him. His palpable disappointment and fatigue at the top of act two was quite wonderful. The tossing away of the insults and digs seemed even more painful than if they had been delivered in a more calculated fashion.
Judith Ivey is fantastic - so warm and funny and real, yet with true pathos. Her sadness when she says "My dear, life can be very long for a woman alone" was heartbreaking. She comes close to stealing the show from her very capable co-stars.
Dan Stevens is quite charming and handsome as Morris, though he did seem a little blandly nice. Of course, when he starts to wax rhapsodic about the Venetian crystal, you could see the glittering schemer, but he could've used a touch more of that throughout. Though I did buy his "I need your love now more" in the scene when he returns two years later - I could see the effects of his failures away from NY. I guess I found him perfectly fine, but I was hoping for more.
Jessica Chastain couldn't hide her natural attractiveness (those cheekbones!), even with that horrible wig she's saddled with. So I think they tried to undercut her attractiveness by making her even more socially awkward than usual (which is hard to imagine, since her awkwardness is so commented on throughout). Chastain was approaching something like personality disorder with a flat affect. Sometimes it worked, but other times it cut the humanity of Catherine and seemed to be played for broad comedy. I found myself falling in and out of her performance - sometimes she was real and engaging, and sometimes she was false and actor-y. I don't know. Maybe this can be laid at the feet of the director. Although, it could just be my natural prejudice and continuing admiration for Cherry Jones' performance that kept me from fully engaging with this Catherine. I guess I would like to see Chastain in something else for which she might be more naturally suited.
I thought Dee Nelson as Morris' sister was lovely and her scene with Dr. Sloper and then Catherine was spot-on. There was an urgency there that might've been missing from a lot of the other scenes. Virginia Kull was also quite good as Maria, the maid. The set and costumes were wonderful and how lovely to see a full stage curtain.
Having said all that, I had a good time and enjoyed myself tremendously. I just love this story and the play is cracking good storytelling, plus it is being presented with respect and clarity. I just think a spark of that extra-something special is missing. I will say the matinee audience was quite involved and engaged throughout, so...maybe the opinion of the many should be listened to over the opinion of the one. :)
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