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Jacobson and Whiddon in "The Seagull." (courtesy Theater J)
It seems that Theater J’s artistic director Ari Roth, who adapted Chekov's classic The Seagull for the company, knows his decision to infuse the play with a Jewish crisis of faith may be a hard sell. Much of the printed program of The Seagull On 16th Street is devoted to justifying this choice, which stemmed from a need to square the play’s solidly non-Jewish content with a theater company whose mission is to explore “Jewish cultural legacy.” His logic is that The Seagull already touches on issues of faith (whether it be in the value of one’s artistic work, talent, or identity), so there's no harm in throwing religious faith onto the pile.
It’s an interesting idea, but The Seagull is so dense a play in its original form, relentlessly exploring the unfulfilled desires of each character — primarily unrequited love — that the production threatens to buckle under the weight of more conflict.
The burdened Treplev (Alexander Strain) must struggle with his art, his selfish mother, his love for the neighbor, Nina, and now his Jewish identity. Perhaps it’s no wonder that Strain delivers such a hysterical performance, shoveling his lines at other characters and the audience as though he can’t unload them quickly enough, trembling and wheeling about the stage. Strain was last seen at Theater J as the “Tortured Genius” in The Rise and Fall of Annie Hall and similar inflections stray into his part here, namely a certain pomposity that makes it difficult to sympathize with his perpetual fragility.
As his mother, Arkadina, Naomi Jacobson is a lively and delightfully funny stage diva, so adept at manipulating others with her charisma that it seems to require no effort. Her companion, Trigorin (Jerry Whiddon) is likable as a novelist laboring in critical mediocrity while obtaining success among the masses, and so guileless in his dealings with Treplev’s love, Nina (Veronica del Cerro), that the later revelation that he's a callous scoundrel hardly seems plausible. Whiddon’s scenes with del Cerro are dominated by genuine sweetness and mutual curiosity, but there is not a spark of sexual chemistry between these two. By the end of Act Two, Trigorin seems poised to adopt Nina rather than to ruin her. J. Fred Shiffman as Dorn, the much-lusted after obstetrician, and Stephen Patrick Martin as Sorin, Arkadina’s good-natured brother, deliver quietly pitch-perfect performances, anchoring the wild energy of Nina, Treplev, and Arkadina.
Many liberties are taken with the script and staging (the characters dress primarily in white and khaki, like lounging Southerners, with the men in loose suits and Arkadina in fitted skirts and blouses), and the anachronisms are not cohesive. Characters sing lyrics from R.E.M. and Joni Mitchell songs, yet Nina is left to deliver lines about "driving the horses” while wearing Keds and a chunky star necklace. If Chekhov would be comfortable with his original characters chanting in Hebrew and arguing about the Sabbath, he probably wouldn’t begrudge their using a car.
The Seagull runs through July 19 at Theater J. Tickets are available online.
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Missy, I just have to say that I really enjoy and appreciate your reviews. Normally, I don't like to read reviews for shows I haven't seen, but I find that yours are too insightful for me to skip. It's obvious that you have a great understanding of what you're watching and the context within which the DC theatre community operates, as well as how to convey that to your readers with respect and intelligence. Too many reviewers talk down ("I know something you don't know!") or up ("I don't know anything about theatre, but shhh don't tell!"), but not you.
So, thanks.
This review was actually written by DCist contributor Monica Shores, but I'm sure she's happy you liked it!
ahark1pd, thanks so much for your kind words. But this review is actually from one of our new writers, Monica Shores, who's been doing a great job. We haven't gotten around to getting her her own login yet, so that's why it's under my posting name, even if she has a byline at the top of the entry.
So thanks, keep reading, and keep your eyes out for more from Monica!
Sorry, Monica! I didn't even look at the byline :)