|
Tea at Five
A New Play by Matthew Lombardo
Starring Tovah Feldshuh as Katherine Hepburn
Directed by John Tillinger
At the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts
9501 N. Skokie Blvd.
Skokie, IL
Call 847-673-6300, tickets $35 - $55
Thursday, Dec. 20 at 8 pm
Friday, Dec. 21 at 8 pm
Saturday, Dec. 22 at 2 & 8
Sunday, Dec. 23 at 3 pm
Running time is 85 minutes
Through December 23, 2007
Tovah Feldshuh sparkles as Katherine Hepburn in Tea at Five
In her first Chicago appearance, Tovah Feldshuh (Broadway, film and TV diva) offers a most intriguing portrait of the legendary stage and screen super-star, Katherine Hepburn. Playwright Matthew Lombardo has condensed Tea at Five into a tight dramatic 85 minute one act. The bio-drama finds Hepburn in her Fenwick estate in Old Saybrook, Conn. in 1983. Kate has just been in an auto crash and has a broken her ankle. Feldshuh has the older Hepburn down from the scratchy voice to the stooped body mannerisms. We see the grand diva at her bluntest. Hepburn is reflecting on her life by taking us back to her turbulent childhood where we learn about the “Hepburn curse” and how much Kate wanted to please her demanding father. Feldshuh is emotionally truthful in these early scenes.
She outlines Hepburn’s triumphs and disasters of her long stage and screen career. We feel the insecurity and doubt ever present in an actor’s life. Feldshuh transforms into a young Hepburn in the late 1930’s when her career was suffering from several ‘bombs’ as the glow from her star began to wane. She was lobbying to play Scarlet in Gone With the Wind. We see the tough, self-assured Hepburn trying all her tricks to land that part. The scene ends with an unexpected twist that salvages her stage and screen career.
When Feldshuh switches back to the older Hepburn, the play has its best moments. We learn about Spencer Tracy and their 27 year affair. “I was the star, but Spencer was the actor,” Hephburn states. I learned much about Hepburn in the entertaining show. It is filled with uproariously funny stories, witty comments and insightful observations about Hollywood, theatre and Hepburn—the person. We grow to understand an appreciate Hepburn and we admire the terrific work from Tovah Feldshuh. Feldshuh is equally comfortable as both the older and the younger Hepburn. She deftly has the vocal and body language for both Hepburns and she smoothly has the proper elocution to get us to see and hear Katherine Hepburn on stage. This is a marvelous performance by Feldshuh. Get to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts since this gem that has one great actress playing another. The show will only be here through December 23. Don’t miss this rarity.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: December 19, 2007
|
