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Desire Under the Elms
By Eugene O’Neill
Produced by The Hypocrites
Chopin Theatre Studio
1543 W. Division
Chicago, IL
Tickets: 866-811-4111 or www.theatermania.com – $20
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 2:00 pm
Running time is 1 hour 50 minutes with one intermission
Through November 11th
A Tale of Greed and Lust: Hypocrites’ Desire a Hot Ticket
There is nothing magic about The Hypocrites’ production of Eugene O’Neill’s Desire Under the Elms. It is a straightforward production of an American theatre classic that relies on solid acting to deliver the goods, or perhaps deliver the wickedness would be more apropos in this case. O’Neill lays the groundwork for Greek tragedy set in rural New England and Director Geoff Button allows his actors to explore the unseemly depths of human emotional filth in what he describes as an attempt to give us an idea of what it means to be clean. The result is an artistic triumph.
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Ian Westerfer is brilliant as Eben, the youngest son of a selfish and dominating old man, Cabot (J. David Moeller), who works his farm using his sons like livestock. They only hang around the place hoping Cabot will die so they can have the farm. Then, the old geezer shows up with a new young wife, Abbie (Audrey Francis). A passionate affair with heartbreaking and deadly consequences breaks out between Abbie and Eben and the stage is set for an evening of theatre that is at times stunningly powerful. The supporting package is all in place as well. Tracy Otwell’s realistic farmyard set makes maximum use of Chopin’s basement space, placing the audience practically on the front porch and providing the perfect perch for seeing inside the rotting home and the tortured souls of O’Neill’s fallen angels. The playwright’s lyric lines soar, thanks to the cast’s masterful delivery of his beautifully written dialect, and the technical production is seamless. Button establishes himself as one of the top directors in town by melding all of these elements into a cohesive production that allows the mostly young cast to pull this difficult show off. It is the total package that shines.
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Button has shortened the play in places to create a production of contemporary length, I imagine. This results in a bit less emphasis on the father, Cabot, than in the original play. I know I would have enjoyed getting a bit more of Cabot, played by the magnetic veteran actor J. David Moeller, who is making his Chicago stage debut, but the show is so good that I don’t want to second guess too much here. There is a fine balance to the production and Button seems to have achieved a total that is greater than the sum of its parts. Nowhere is this balance more evident than in the simultaneously understated and thoroughly erotic encounters between Abbie and Eben. The potential for uncomfortable theatre with the audience so close to such sexually charged moments is challenging. In Buttons hands, Westerfer and Francis deliver a seductive encounter that is believable and one which sets the stage for the tragic conclusion.
Desire Under the Elms is a masterwork of the American stage. For those who insist that theatre be more than entertainment and who enjoy the actors’ art in intimate setting, it doesn’t get much better than this: a great play with talented actors in capable hands for only $20.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Randy Harwick
randyontheglobe@yahoo.com for comments
Date Reviewed: October 4, 2007
Jeff Recommended
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