ARTS IN LA
Anna Christie Odyssey Theatre Ensemble Reviewed by Travis Michael Holder January 27, 2015 What a way to start a new year. Walking into the Odyssey’s intimate Theatre 2, it’s hard to not feel an immediate sense that one is about to be enveloped in something incredibly special. In the cramped playing area, with only two walls available for a set, a long wooden slanted platform forms the stage, suspended above a moat of real water surrounding and isolating it. The playing area is lit only by three hanging industrial metal lamp fixtures, two indistinct practical household table lamps set on the floor to one side, and a glaringly bright ghost lamp. With wisps of fog floating around this setting’s stark angles, the mood is instantly evocative and magical in its simplicity. In part that’s because the stage for the opening scene of O’Neill’s rarely performed 1922 Pulitzer Prize–winning classic is usually complete with an elaborate wall of bottles and glasses behind a practical wood-paneled bar to conjure Johnny the Priest’s riverside saloon situated along the Hudson, a place which later gives way to the deck of the barge Simeon Wintrope at anchor in the Provincetown, Mass., harbor and, later, a cabin below deck. The seemingly complex set changes this play calls for now appear easily managed, thanks to the talented hands of director Kim Rubinstein, whose touch is so evident everywhere that her contribution is almost an extra character in the piece. In her version, the players struggle to leap across the moat, sometimes becoming immersed. In the visionary collaboration between Rubinstein and set designer Wilson Chin, all that is needed is the blocky, shadowy platform eerily lit by Michael Gend, the undulating spectre of the story’s ever-present sea, and the viewers’ imaginations, leaving room to concentrate on the true wonder of the material and appreciate some of the finest and most balls-out acting to hit LA stages in quite some time. Granted, hearing the century-old words created by one of our nation’s greatest dramatists always educes a haunting place no matter what the circumstances. but, as brought back to life by this particular group of artists, it’s both a breathtakingly real and a wretchedly lonesome journey to take. Delivering lines such as “Sailor all right feller but not for marry girl” is not an easy task for any anyone, but if the intentions of the actors are as sincere and the harsh long-gone world inhabited by these uneducated people facing real hardships brought on by their place in the class structure of America in 1910 is realized as perfectly as it is here, the result is a theatrical experience that won’t be soon forgotten. Anna (the transcendent Zoe Perry) is a physically and emotionally broken young woman who travels to the dank New York waterfront to find her father, crusty old Swedish sea salt Chris Christopherson (Perry’s real-life father Jeff Perry) whom she hasn’t seen since she was 5 years old. Raised by cousins on a midwestern farm, Anna was worked like a slave and repeatedly sexually abused by the family’s youngest son. Escaping to the big city, she tries her hand at regular work as a governess but finds that her earlier experiences have left her better qualified to earn a living on her back. Her father ain’t much of a prize, either: a skipper on a coal barge drinking himself into oblivion at any opportunity, not writing to his daughter because, he says, he wanted to keep her as far away from “that ol’ devil sea” as possible. Without explaining her brutal past to her father, Anna takes up residency on his coal barge, where she meets Mat Burke (Kevin McKidd), a shipwrecked Irish sailor who proposes to her before he even dries off. But as the love between Anna and Mat deepens, Anna becomes increasingly more wary of the day she’ll have to tell the men in her life about her questionable past. Even Chris and Mat’s animosity for each other pales in comparison to that dreaded moment when she comes clean to them. “I’m destroyed entirely, and my heart is broken to bits!” wails Mat, so distraught he even considers killing the woman he loved so deeply only a few minutes before, while her father, of course, just goes out and gets sloshed. As O’Neill’s much-maligned title character, Zoe Perry is mesmerizing. In her very first scene, she quickly reveals her character’s hard-as-nails exterior and the delicate, gossamer vulnerability lurking just below the surface. When she explains her plight to Marthy (a crusty and splendidly froggy-voiced Mary Mara), her father’s equally salty main squeeze, Perry never for a moment descends into caricature as so many have in this role. And when she tells Marthy, “You’re me 40 years from now,” it’s a poignant, melodious, simple delivery as she shakes all over, spewing out through her touching fragility a jarring disgust with the world in general and men in particular. Jeff Perry is equally impressive as Anna’s father. It’s a colorful role written with numerous traps into which most actors fall, usually reducing the character to the pouting, one-note, sad-sack, “yumpin’ yiminy” kind of Scandinavian portrayed in 1930s Hollywood movies. McKidd’s character can also easily descend into every stereotype of a sailor of the era, complete with puffing chest and pirate-y accent, but not for a moment does that happen here. These incredibly gifted actors make for remarkable storytelling. Still, the most indelible component in Rubinstein’s atmospheric, courageously unpretentious new look at the gloomy long-gone world O’Neill so uniquely explored, is the brilliantly rich and multifaceted performance of Zoe Perry, who tumbles headfirst into the trials, strengths, and shattered dreams of the title role with dizzying force. When Mat tells Anna about how great it is to meet a real lady instead of the for-hire lowlifes he’s encountered in his years at sea, the expression in her eyes as she realizes how everything she has gained could be taken from her is absolutely heartbreaking, as though the actor is channeling the gifts of Hepburn and Streep and Chaplin. This production, above all its other wonders, heralds a future career that could rival that of either of her illustrious parents. January 27, 2015 Jan. 24–March 8. 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. There is wheelchair access. Sat 2pm & 8pm, Sun 2pm. $20–34.99. (310) 477-2055. www.odysseytheatre.com SOURCE: http://artsinla.com/Theater_Reviews.html STAGE RAW
January 29, 2015 Anna Christie Reviewed by Terry Morgan The Odyssey Theatre Through March 8 RECOMMENDED: One of the pleasures of attending theater is witnessing the rebirth of a classic play through a vital new production. There's something profoundly satisfying in realizing that the concerns of the past aren't that different from our own; that art, when well done, resounds down the corridors of time like crisp, clear music. Kim Rubinstein’s new staging of Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning Anna Christie with the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble is such a production, a superb revival full of melancholy beauty and passionate acting, highlighted by Zoe Perry's glorious performance in the lead role. In 1910 New York, retired sailor Chris Christopherson (Jeff Perry), hanging out at a saloon with his current girlfriend Marthy (Mary Mara), is surprised to receive a letter from his daughter Anna (Zoe Perry). Chris hasn't seen Anna in 20 years, after abandoning his family for a life at sea, but he's thrilled to read that she's coming to visit him. His vision of the life she's had is very different from the life she's actually experienced, which led to her working as a prostitute. She keeps this from him, however, and blooms on his barge, loving the sea as much as Chris fears it. When they rescue shipwrecked sailor Mat (Kevin McKidd), however, and she falls in love with the young man, she worries that telling the truth about her past will destroy her future. In a revelatory performance as Anna, Zoe Perry possesses an intensity reminiscent of the young Meryl Streep. From her initial appearance in the saloon, all flinty and feral, to the young woman beginning to enjoy life again, to her final fiery confessions as a desperate lover, Perry inhabits the role completely. McKidd is outstanding as Mat, galvanizing the production as much as Mat does Anna. He brings a strong physicality to the role, not only manhandling Anna but most of the set as well, concisely portraying Mat as a young bull whose only instinct is to charge. Audiences who might only know McKidd from his work on Gray's Anatomy will be pleased to discover what a confident and skilled stage actor he is. Jeff Perry is subtle and sympathetic as Chris, taking a character that could come off as broad and dated in lesser hands (with the sailor's constant refrain of "dat ol' debbil sea") and making him credible and interesting. Mara makes the most of her stage time as Marthy, with a tart and lively performance that offers welcome humor. Director Rubinstein does splendid, creative work, particularly with her striking character-entrance sequences. Anna's arrival as she stands bedraggled and shaking with a discordant horn soundtrack wailing her inner turmoil is a stunning tableaux, followed just slightly in effect by Mat's entrance to the play, wet and wild from the water alongside the barge set. Rubinstein gets terrific work from saxophonist Martin Gutfeldt, who not only provides live musical accompaniment to various scenes but sound effects as well, such as the mournful lowing of a foghorn. Wilson Chin's minimalist but effective set features a raised stage surrounded by an enclosed area of water, and Michael Gend's lighting design not only evokes the sea but also impressively pinpoints changes in mood. One note for those with breathing difficulties: there is a great deal of stage fog used (albeit to great effect) in this production. This show may sell out due to McKidd's celebrity, but it should sell out because it is a fantastic production, and it should be a must-see to all fans of great theater. Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., W.L.A.; Sat., 8 p.m,; Sat.-Sun., 2 p.m. through March 8. http://www.OdysseyTheatre.com SOURCE: http://stageraw.com/2015/01/29/anna-christie/ BROADWAY WORLD Odyssey Theatre Ensemble Presents ANNA CHRISTIE as a Total Sensory Experience February 3, 2015 by Shari Barrett Every once in awhile I am blown away by an innovative and excitingly creative theatrical production which surprises me both physically and emotionally. Such was the case when I experienced Eugene O'Neill's ANNA CHRISTIE at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble. The incredible cast stars Zoe Perry alongside her real-life father, Scandal's Jeff Perry, and Grey's Anatomy's Kevin McKidd as the play's trio of iconic characters who create an explosive mix, each struggling for salvation. Set in 1910, O'Neill's 1922 Pulitzer Prize winner presents a realistic and painful exploration of family conflict and the harsh reality of women's lives in the early part of the twentieth century. His classic ANNA CHRISTIE is surprisingly contemporary, crackling with fierce physicality, humor and drama. After a 20-year separation, a coal barge captain is reunited with the daughter he unknowingly abandoned to a life of hardship, a woman with limited choices whose dreams have been shattered. When Anna falls in love with a wayward sailor who literally jumps out of the sea onto the barge and into her heart, certain secrets about her past come to light as their relationship depends over the course of just two weeks. Certainly women today still deal with the issues of trying to live up to what your father expects you to be, even if he has been absent from your life. When Anna (Zoe Perry) arrives at Johnny-the-Priest's saloon near the waterfront in New York searching out her father, she meets local barfly (and her father's current playmate) Marthy Owen (Mary Mara) who sympathizes with Anna's need to re-define herself and their lot as women. These two are cut from the same cloth, at the mercy of men to take care of them no matter what the personal cost. At least Marthy seems to be enjoying herself, modest though her life is, as it appears as long as the rugged bartender (Tait Ruppert) keeps bringing on the suds someone else pays for, she is as happy as a clam. When Marthy discovers Anna is indeed the daughter Chris (Joe Perry) has been expecting, even though she sees the writing on the wall and will have to leave the barge so Anna can move in with her father), Marthy can't wait to relate the news to him and then quickly bids him a fond farewell. Her waterfront life surely will just move on to the next lonely sailor to hit port. Father and daughter are basically strangers when they meet, Chris having left his native Sweden when Anna was a baby - never to return. Both father and daughter agree that sailors are a strange lot, never feeling truly at home unless on the sea. Yet somehow they find women to marry them and have their children even though they are rarely at home. What Chris learns about Anna's life and the hardships she has faced for the past 20 years until turning up on his "doorstep" shakes his spirit to the bone and he vows to make things right with her. That is until one night when a shipwrecked Irish sailor named Mat (Kevin McKidd) literally pops out of the sea and challenges both Anna and Chris to see their lives in ways they never expected. The modern push-pull nature of Anna and Mat's love affair certainly seems more modern than what O'Neill imagined took place in 1910, or is it that men and women have always been and will always be the same when it comes to animal attraction? This is one of the finest pieces of theater I have ever seen - superb acting, direction, lighting, and a set which includes lots of water surrounding the raised, central rectangular stage. Moving in and out of scenes on the waterfront is the mysterious fog that creates both moods of terror and romance, perfectly reenacted by the cast. Former Long Wharf associate artistic director Kim Rubinstein has inspired the ensemble to engulf themselves in both their characters and the environment, making the entire theatrical experience emotionally enveloping. "It's kind of spectacular that O'Neill wrote this nearly 95 years ago," says Rubinstein. "It's the story of a strong, independent woman who is a victim of abuse and forced into a life of degradation by her circumstances, and of two men who come to understand and recognize their own culpability in her plight and are transformed by that. It's very passionate, and layers and layers deep." Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953) is revered as the father of modern American playwriting and stood as a trailblazer for later artists such as Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. ANNA CHRISTIE debuted on Broadway at the Vanderbilt Theatre on November 2, 1921, garnering O'Neill's second of four Pulitzer Prizes. A 1993 Broadway revival by the Roundabout Theatre Company was the recipient of both Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Revival, and a 2003 revival at London's Donmar Warehouse was honored with the Olivier Award. ANNA CHRISTIE was successfully adapted to the screen three times; the second version starred Greta Garbo and is considered by film critics to be one of Hollywood's finest motion pictures. Now you can see one of the finest theatrical productions to hit the boards in Los Angeles by heading over to the Odyssey Theatre in West LA to experience a real theatrical treat for all your senses! Thank goodness Beth Hogan did not shy away from producing another spectacular show with water onstage, something she says she swore she would never do again. Performances of ANNA CHRISTIE take place three times a week, on Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm and Sundays at 2pm through March 8. Tickets to all performances are $34.99; students with valid ID and members of Equity/SAG/AFTRA can purchase tickets for $20 to Saturday matinee performances. The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles, 90025. For reservations and information, call (310) 477-2055 or go to www.OdysseyTheatre.com. SOURCE: http://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/BWW-Reviews-Odyssey-Theatre-Ensemble-Presents-ANNA-CHRISTIE-as-a-Total-Sensory-Experience-20150203
'Scandal' star Jeff Perry and daughter Zoe team up in a visceral staging of Eugene O'Neill's classic
Arguably Eugene O’Neill’s quintessential early play, Anna Christie grapples with alcoholism, alienation, heartbreak, mortality and the monolithic sea, all experiences drawn from the playwright’s own past. The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble’s new production of the 1922 Pulitzer Prize-winner teams Steppenwolf Theatre co-founder Jeff Perry (Scandal) with daughter Zoe Perry (Cotton) and Kevin McKidd (Grey’s Anatomy) in a thoughtful and physical new interpretation. Set design by Wilson Chin is minimalist, a rectangular platform bordered by water signifying the deck of a coal barge owned by sailor Chris Christopherson (Perry). Here, between sleeping and working, he drinks to forget his misspent, loveless past. The opening scene takes place in a dive bar, Johnny the Priest’s, (one of O’Neill’s real-life haunts), featuring a pair of bistro tables, a few chairs and a curtain of fog. The bleating of sound designer Martin Gutfeldt’s plaintive alto sax and an occasional foghorn are the only noises, and black is the predominant tone. The opening scenes pair Christopherson with Marthy Owen (Mary Mara), a fellow alcoholic and sometime bedmate. In the exposition-heavy early going, Mara is outstanding, and when you consider early drafts of the play focused on Christopherson (the original title was Chris), it’s easy to see where her character would have had a much larger place in the story. But in time, the focus shifts to Anna, Christopherson’s long-lost daughter who comes seeking refuge, relegating Owen to the dramatic purpose of colorful sounding board and admonition to the broken-down young lady. Separated from her father for twenty years, Anna has come from Minnesota where she was in a state hospital after feigning illness to avoid prison time. While Christopherson sailed the seas, his wife passed away and young Anna was sent to live on a farm with cousins where she was sexually abused. From there she ran away to become a nanny in the city of St. Paul. There are gaps in Anna’s story, but of course they will be filled in the third act. Adapting the Swedish accent specified in O’Neill’s notes, Mr. Perry is a forcible anchor to the play, bringing Shakespearean dimension to Christopherson, but at the same time making it a two-hander between himself and his daughter. What could easily be perceived as a simple instance of Hollywood nepotism is, in fact, not, as Ms. Perry has earned her stripes starring with mother Laurie Metcalf on Broadway in The Other Place, for which she received excellent notices. As Anna, she adapts a Minnesotan accent, shunning the Swedish and making a logical choice that serves to widen the gap between herself and her father, and later Mat Burke (Kevin McKidd), an Irish shipwreck victim who miraculously washes up on deck. “Dat ole devil the sea” is how Christopherson refers to the place that spit Burke out. He blames it for taking from him everything he’s ever held dear, including Anna, and will be damned if he’ll watch his daughter make the same mistake her mother did in marrying a sailor. Burke is a brutish, simple man, passionate and quick to anger, an O’Neill trope fully fleshed out later in The Hairy Ape. Under Kim Rubinstein’s direction, McKidd brings a raw energy that perfectly complements Mr. Perry’s futile bluster and Ms. Perry’s suppressed rage (she’s been victimized by men all her life). While she makes Anna’s pain palpable, the character’s sweet vulnerability (along with the empathy it implies) somehow eludes Ms. Perry, who nevertheless delivers a forceful performance. This past weekend, Kevin McKidd & Jeff Perry's ShondaLand pals attended a performance of their play "Anna Christie" at The Odyssey Theatre. Afterwards there was nothing but high praise from "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal" cast and crew - including Jessie Williams, Sarah Drew, Caterina Scorsone, Bellamy Young, Darby Stanchfield, Sara Ramirez, Karin Gleason, Tom Verica, Nicole Cramer, Mimi Melgaard, Elizabeth Finch, and Anna Alexander.
LA TIMES
'Anna Christie' harbors but a spark of greatness January 27, 2015 Charles McNulty charles.mcnulty@latimes.com @charlesmcnulty There's no shortage of acting in the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble revival of Eugene O'Neill's "Anna Christie." Accents are adorned like fake noses, illnesses resemble those found in 19th century operas and bits of melodramatic business might as well be underscored with the clashing of cymbals. What's missing from the production — which stars Jeff Perry (a Steppenwolf Theatre Company veteran and cast member of the hit television series "Scandal") and his daughter, rising actress Zoe Perry, as the play's long-estranged father and daughter — is the kind of directorial guidance that could infuse all this sound and fury with some resonant stillness. The old-fashioned acting heaves in one direction; Kim Rubinstein's superficially modern staging tugs in another. Emotional combustion fortunately arrives with the introduction of Mat Burke (played by Kevin McKidd of "Grey's Anatomy"), the Irish shipman who washes up from the sea and falls madly in love with Anna, a sickly young woman with a checkered past who has sought sanctuary on her captain father's coal barge. LOS ANGELES POST
“Anna Christie” Reviewed by Dan Berkowitz January 26, 2015 A student once asked playwright and teacher William McCleery why dramatists were called playwrights and not playwrites. “Because plays are not written,” he replied, “they’re wrought.” He paused, then murmured, “Sometimes overwrought.” Eugene O’Neill’s Anna Christie, now at the Odyssey, serves up a double whammy: an overexcited melodrama suffering through an over-the-top production. This story of seafaring folk traps us in a perfect storm of whiny and unsympathetic characters, prolix writing, major overacting, and strange, incongruous, and sometimes simply annoying production elements. Ticket, Box Office & Other Info
http://www.odysseytheatre.com/anna_christie.php Rehearsal Photos for ANNA CHRISITE from Odyssey Theatre Facebook page SOURCE / More Photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.859774890741923 Ticket & Box Office Information Here http://www.odysseytheatre.com/anna_christie.php |
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