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A MAGNIFICENT PLAY Review by: Beth M, Nov 19, 2007 |
When Four or More are Gathered Together: David Storey’s “Home”
By Beth Mandelbaum
”I saw this wonderful play (written by British playwright David Storey and originally seen on Broadway in 1970 with Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud) over the holidays last year. This very excellent production and superb cast was presented by The Actors Theater Company (TACT).
The play is beautifully written. And while it appears so simple on the surface,... read more, there is much underlying complexity beneath. Rather than being a traditional plot driven play, it seems more of narrative by reference and memory. For a play where so little appears to be happening, there is a strong emphasis on words and dialogue. But it is precisely the odd way that the dialogue flows, or doesn't, that create such a very fascinating play. It also has a mysterious and evocative quality.
The play is a day in the life of a small group of people who, the audience comes to find out as the play progresses, are residing in a sanatorium or asylum for those with mental challenges. The focus is on four residents, two men, Jack and Harry, and two women, Marjorie and Kathleen.
For about the first half hour, we find Jack and Harry sharing a significant amount of what would appear to be small talk, generally about relatively inconsequential things. However, they do find many surface commonalities between each other and are striving for some kind of connection. (Later one will begin to question the "truth" of much of what is being shared). While the play seems to have a very odd beginning as nothing would appear to be happening, later one realizes that a great deal of groundwork is being presented which will have more meaning and significance later on.
Sometimes the sentences spoken by Harry and Jack were more like fragments and incomplete thoughts. And there were times when both men would stop and be silent, as if they were thinking about something else. Their interaction would seem to offer some insight into their state of mind, offering a clue to where these two men actually are.
The entire play is set in a garden entirely made up of very neat hedges with a large sky, (often with clouds that seem to be a bit of an obsession for Jack), without any references to a specific place.
Suddenly the two women appear and it becomes extremely clear that this is indeed an asylum. One can tell this from their conversation, clothing, demeanor and interactive styles. There is much humor in the conversation between the two women, who are apparently roommates. They befriend the two men and form a small, self contained group.
A main theme of the play would seem to be the sense of isolation that one can feel, even (and perhaps especially) among a large group of people. In fact, Harry mentions that he never seems to meet anyone more than once. The play evokes a deep longing for companionship and connection.
The two men seem dispassionate in the early scenes, except for moments when they each break down. But there would seem to be no deep connection between the men despite the amount of conversation that they have had, though there is a sense that they are trying quite hard to offer friendship to ease the loneliness. The two men never argued--they seemed totally agreeable and even complaisant, in contrast to the women, who are delightfully animated.
There is only one additional character in the play, Alfred, who basically keeps to himself and appears to have no desire for connection with anyone. He says very little except displays some grunting behavior. He slowly and almost ritualistically lifts and removes the various pieces of white wrought iron garden furniture: a lovely table and garden chairs. Each piece is lifted as if it was extremely heavy; in Alfred’s mind, these acts would presumable seems as acts of great skill and might. Apparently part of his brain has been removed, which would certainly account for his extremely odd behavior. There is |
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Seniors, Adults
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Outstanding revival with great actors Review by: www.stagestrucknyc.com, Dec 10, 2006 |
| Home is simply beautiful. I was impressed by the outstanding performances by four veteran actors: Larry Keith and Simon Jones as two elderly gentlemen and Cynthia Darlow and the exquisite Cynthia Harris as two dotty ladies. (Keith and Jones are playing roles originally played in the 1970s by John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson, and they do a marvelous job despite the overhang.) The play by David Storey is in a style reminiscent of Pinter, but ... read more Storey is more subtle and kinder to his characters. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Adults, Anyone
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