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THE COUNTRY HOUSE
By David Schultz Chekhov Lite in the Berkshires Everyone seems to be jumping on the Chekhov bandwagon of late. Christopher Durang (“Vanya, Sonya, Masha & Spike”) last case in point. His riff on the master was clever, pithy, and wise. It garnered a few well-deserved Tony Awards last season. Sadly, this new play, penned by Donald Margulies is not up to snuff. The supposed dialogue spoken by the actors, playing actors seems canned and faintly musty. Not at fault are the impeccable actors onstage. The lead performers give this featherweight piece more gravitas than it actually deserves. The curtain rises to reveal a gorgeous home in the Berkshires, designed by master set builder John Lee Beatty. The vast wooden ceiling & walls, crammed with books, brick-a-brack and other personal ephemera, comfortable furniture, has a relaxed lived-in vibe. The owner of this home is actress Anna Patterson (Blythe Danner, perfectly cast with her swooping over-articulated gestures and dressed even at home as if she were up on stage with flowing outfits and dramatic scarves to give full effect). Costume Designer Rita Ryack gives all the performers perfectly casual elegant raiment’s, but saves her most bold designs for Ms. Danner. She has come up to the manse in the Berkshires for her annual summer performances in the local theater, performing in “Mrs Warren’s Profession”. This year marks the one-year anniversary of a sad event, her young daughter’s Kate’s death, due to cancer. Her absence hangs heavy over the family and Anna is still coming to terms with the heartache of her loss. She is done with her grief, she hopes, and needs to get back on the boards to replenish & heal and get back to her craft.
The plot is at once simple and overly convoluted. Into the house comes a well-regarded hotshot movie star Michael Astor (Daniel Sunjata in smoldering, sex idol mode) who wants to flex his skills as an actor and is also performing onstage in the area. Seems his hotel room suite is being fumigated and is in need of a few nights to crash. Enter Anna who insists he come and stay with her at her home. No matter that this weekend brings a full cavalcade of family members carrying loads of baggage, both literal and internal.
Anna’s granddaughter Susie (played with a withering sense of ennui and snarky demeanor) by Sarah Steele is the only member of the group that is not a thespian. She is both irritated and intrigued by the houseguest in the midst, sexually as well. Turns out basically all the women in the household have their sights set on Michael.
The house quickly fills up with Anna’s son-in-law Walter, (David Rasche, who portrays his character with great comic timing) a hot in demand director with his new fiancée in tow, Nell (Kate Jennings Grant, charming and well acted with subtle quiet moments). Even though she has been invited to the house, there are subliminal tinges of anger and resentment toward her presence in the house. Coming so soon after Kate’s death seems just a tad unseemly to the members of the family. Rounding out the gang is Anna’s son Elliot (Eric Lange, who works magic with a complex character, imbuing his role with quirky humor and a deep underlying sadness…. a high-wire act this performer pulls off with ease), a failed actor with loads of resentment and withering self-loathing to pad his soul. Seems he had an unrequited passion for Nell, back in the day when they acted together. The formulaic plot puts all the characters through their paces as the first act comes to an end. The curtain closes on a liaison that almost happens, but doesn’t, and causes the family to reconsider what exactly is going on under their noses. Lighting Designer Peter Kaczorowski gets extra mention for his various lighting effects that give the full spectrum of the summer season its full due. That First Act curtain closer, with the above mentioned almost-liaison takes place during a wild thunderstorm, and at a penultimate moment the lights go out, with various actors scurrying about in search of light. When the lights come back up, the stage is brightly lit with an amusing tableau. The Second Act supplies more fireworks with various verbal fireworks hurled at each other. Playwright Margulies does get in some delicious digs at the profession of theater and acting, sometimes biting the hand that feeds him in the process. He also tries to comingle various aspects of both “The Seagull” & “Uncle Vanya” in the plotline. Lovers of Chekhov will duly note the attempt, but it still seems a hoary attempt to give the proceedings a deeper level than it actually deserves. That the production still gives one a smile and few laughs is largely due to the performers’ commitment to their craft. Ms Danner’s throaty dulcet tones, and knowledge of the community (she has indeed flexed her craft in this very same town for years) adds immeasurable depth to the work. Seasoned director Daniel Sullivan keeps the momentum going, in spurts, until the last few moments of the play where the past, mingled with both memories of tragedy & regret coalesce into a vague sense of hope for the future. The Country House 
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