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Desire Under the Elms Reviews
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Review by: Tom B., May 11, 2009 |
"Desire Under The Elms"
St. James Theatre
From the very first moments of this production of one of O'Neill's earlier plays (a transplant from Chicago's Goodman Theatre), it's clear that one is in for an experience of raw, elemental power. First, it's a tremendously loud bang that precedes the raising of the scrim/curtain and shocks you to attention. Once that scrim flies away, it reveals a set composed mostly of large granite boulders -- ... read more into which come Simeon and Peter Cabot (Daniel Stewart Sherman and Boris McGiver), dragging a sled filled with more boulders. Sweating and straining, but saying not a word, they manage to offload the sled and move to their next task -- gutting the whole pig hanging by its feet above the stage, dripping blood into a bucket. As they haul guts and organs from the animal's belly, it becomes obvious that life is hard, unforgiving and relentless and the audience had best be prepared for an evening of the same. No happy endings expected. None received.
However, if you like your theater intense, laying bare deep human emotions, then you won't be disappointed by the story of the Cabot family. Ephraim, the patriarch (played by Brian Dennehy), has spent his entire life at such toil, and expects no less from his three sons: the aforementioned Simeon and Peter, plus Eben, their half-brother. Eben (Pablo Schreiber) has taken on the duties of his long-dead mother: cooking and housework. But he is, ultimately, the flintiest member of this New England clan. When dad brings home a new wife, Abbie (Carla Gugino), Eben is either smitten by lust or compelled by hatred of his father to have Abbie for his own.
Everything about this production is outsized: the rocks, the emotions, the performances. Even the house, though of modest size, seems massive in scale. I could imagine someone hating this version of "Desire"; it is, after all, quite a rough 100 intermission-less minutes. But I ate it up. It's tragedy on a brobdingnagian scale, performed by a uniformly terrific cast, under the obviously sure hand of director Robert Falls.
Though the Cabots comment regularly on how "pretty" the sky or the landscape (or the new baby) is, nothing is pretty about their lives or their outlook on life. But if you can see past the raw ugliness and tragedy, there's a shiny, pretty gem of a play waiting for you at the St. James Theater. |
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| 2 |
Gripping Drama Review by: Carol, Apr 25, 2009 |
| To see Brian Dennehy is a real treat. Carla Gugino and Pablo Schreiber as the wife and son are outstanding in this gripping performance of O'Neill's play. If you are a fan of classic drama, see this one. |
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Make an effort to see
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Groan! Review by: Callasforever, Apr 23, 2009 |
Call me old-fashioned, but this production of Eugene O'Neil's "Desire under the the Elms" left me bored stiff. I kept waiting for the heat to build, but the fire went out early in this tiresome production. Much of the blame can be laid at O'Neil's feet, as the "ancient-Grek-tragedy-angst-meets-New-England-melodrama" just groans on and on. The acting left much to be desired. The set was interesting, but, WHERE ARE THE ELMS? A "Ho" and a ... read more "Hum."
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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| 4 |
Bonfire Under the Elms Review by: Sasha, Apr 23, 2009 |
Southern gothic served up barbequed with hot sauce. The most subtle moment in this production is when two brothers are licking their plates. Other than that, prepare yourself to listen to two hours of shouting. It was all delivered at a fevered pitch, screaming and yelling, as though the audience couldn't be trusted to understand. Ayup.
There's a music video in the middle where an entire pop song is blasted while we watch the actors ... read more wander around hang-dogging at each other. "Sound design" is an oxymoron here. All that shouting (and spitting) was mic'd top volume. There was no texture whatsoever.
The actors deserved a better set of options than the director seemed to provide.
There's no intermission, but people got up and left from every direction, including almost the whole row ahead of us. It's also true some people from Alabama gave a standing ovation.
This one is for the out-of-towners. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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| 5 |
Powerful Performances Review by: , Apr 18, 2009 |
I saw this show from the last seat in the mezzanie and I could still feel the emotions and sexual tensions that the actors conveyed. Powerful performances from all and the staging and the manner in which scenery was placed and removed was remarkable and blended into the play.
I would recommend this play to anyone who is an O'Neill fan!! |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Family
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Recommended for:
Adults
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| 6 |
A *Desire* that is real entertainment Review by: Izzi, Apr 17, 2009 |
Saw this play this evening. I'm sure others will be more technical in their reviews so all I will say is this is a *MUST SEE*!!! Mr. Dennehy is brilliant. He may be 76 but he has a tremendous power to hold an audience in the palm of his hand. And...he is still a handsome man.
This is a highly emotional play 'n the cast is phenomenal. Again, this is a play that is not to be missed. I'm so glad i had the opportunity to see it! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
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Recommended for:
Seniors, Adults
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| 7 |
The Power of Production Review by: Yolanda, Apr 15, 2009 |
The Goodman Theatre's _Desire Under the Elms_ has come to the St. James Theatre. Last night was the first night of previews in this limited NYC production. Starring Brian Dennehy, Carla Gugino (Suddenly Last Summer) and Pablo Schreiber (Awake and Sing) and directed by Robert Falls (Death of a Salesman, Long Days Journey into Night) this remarkable production is going to create a stir. The play itself (Eugene O'Neill) holds few surprises but ... read more packs an emotional wallop nonetheless. It has good structure and as bizarre as this sounds, is the perfect starting point for this production. What is really going on, on the very large stage, is cinematic in scope. This production is HUGE. There are hydraulics, gargantuan set pieces, farm animals and lots of smashing and hurling. It is a credit to the cast that they were never overpowered by the set and design. There is an actual house that is raised and lowered throughout the production, that often hangs over the family. Metaphor aside, I was terrified. Call me a worry wort, but I did not entirely trust the cables. This being the first night, the hydraulics were often a bit slow on the uptake, leaving yawning holes in the stage for minutes. I was concerned for the actors' safety. All of this motion is not actually distracting, in fact it takes a relatively sedate play and brings it into the 21st century attention span demands. Music is used as a powerful device in this production. There is one scene that has no dialogue, just a riveting musical accompaniment, lending a modern cinematic touch. At one point a "violinist" comes on upstage. He is obviously "bow synching" his playing (I'm not sure why) and lends an edgy touch. The opening and closing music that accompanies father and sons as they tow rocks is pitch perfect in tone and emotion. The set is very dark, and the music works to give it a more colorful dimension. The set and costuming echoes the bleakness of the storyline, and in such a large space does not feel overly oppressive.
Although, it is clear that this production dictates the use of a large stage, the St. James is not the right venue. It is very large. Musical large. The actors are wearing body mics, although where, remains a mystery, as we saw one of the actors disrobe. The distortion is a travesty. The set is dark, and several times I could not discern who was actually speaking. The volume settings were off at times, creating a pearl crashing Singing In The Rain reality that just didn't work. A smaller theatre would have allowed the actors to be free to unplug. The accents are a bit off as well. Mr. Dennehy was using his lovely brogue with no reference to being Irish, but Ms. Gugino seemed to struggle with a New England accent. I much prefer no accents as a rule, as so few people, save Meryl Streep, can actually master one. The acting is phenomenal, the direction perfection, and the staging out of this world. It is a dark and sad play, with very little humor. See it if you can, but not for a first date. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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| Acting: |
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| Music: |
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| Production: |
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| Story: |
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Anyone
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| * Review is an opinion of a BroadwayBox user and not that of BroadwayBox.com and BroadwayBox, Inc. |
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