Off-Broadway Review: A Day By the Sea EXTENDED THROUGH OCT. 23

Katie Firth, Jill Tanner, Kylie McVey, Polly McKie, Athan Sporek, Philip Goodwin, Julian Elfer, Curzon Dobell, and George Morfogen. Photo: Richard Termine.

A Slow, Very Slow, Long Day by a Quiet Sea
By Lauren Yarger

A family gathers for A Day by the Sea and surrounded by sand, colorful umbrellas and picnic baskets, they gaze out expectantly on the horizon waiting for something to ride in on the tide.

In this first New York revival of N.C. Hunter’s play, which had a 1955 Broadway run featuring Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, they are disappointed – and so is the audience – because very little happens in the three-hour-with-two-intermissions production which marks the Mint Theatre’s first in its new home in residence at Theatre Row.

Unlike past productions like Women Without Men or The Little Journey, where audiences feel like they have stepped back in time and discovered a forgotten theater gem (the Mint’s specialty), A Day by the Sea has us wondering how this play ever got produced in the first place, let alone beat out others more deserving of a revival.

Directed by Austin Pendleton, who has a long history with the Mint, this production features good actors, but the slim plot, sketchy character development and exposition-laden dialogue don’t give them much to work with, unfortunately.

The family has gathered at the Dorset, England home of widow Laura Anson (Jill Tanner), who has in residence her elderly brother-in-law, David Anson (George Morfogen), who needs the constant care of Dr. Farley (Philip Goodwin, whom you might recognize from the “Pink Panther” movies), who is happy to read to the old man and help him dress for free lodgings where he thinks he can hide his addiction to alcohol.

Also on holiday are an old friend of the family who is recently divorced, Frances Farrar (Katie Firth), her two children from a previous marriage, Toby and Elinor (Athan Sporek and Kylie McVey), and their governess, Miss Mathieson “Matty” (Polly McKie).

When Laura’s son Julian (Julian Elfer) joins them, he makes it known to family barrister William Gregson (Curzon Dobell) that he still has no interest in co-managing the family’s estate with his mother. His dismissive attitude gives us an idea why things didn’t work out long ago between him and Frances. When Humphrey Caldwell (Sean Gormley) pays a visit to tell Julian he is being recalled from his post, mostly because he just isn’t liked very much, Julian begins a mid-life-crisis review of his life and wonders whether it is too late to accomplish something meaningful.

He begins to wonder whether he and Frances shouldn’t have a second chance. For reasons not exactly clear, though she appears to have always been in love with him, she isn’t interested in his proposal. There’s that sketchy character development raising its head.

The action (I use the term loosely) takes place in the garden of Laura’s home and at the picnic on the beach, both locations designed by Charles Morgan, framed with blurry leaves hanging overhead with large impressionistic paintings depicting the country side and beach as backdrops. The blurry art is indicative of the characters efforts to bring a sharper focus on the meaning of their lives. The costumes designed by Martha Hally don't change much between scenes, so the family looks a bit awkward at the beach in dresses and suits.

Matty perhaps has the clearest vision of what her life will be like if she doesn’t take some action. What chance does a plain-looking governess have of a family of her own when she forms bonds with other people’s children  only to have those ties severed when they no longer need her? She decides setting up house with the drunken doctor just might be her ticket to happiness (though it kind of makes us cringe to have a women sell herself so short, especially when the actress playing her has some impressive stage presence that might have been used for a more interesting character.) The audience laughed at the ages these two characters say they are: the actors seem beyond those years.

Not much happens in the way of developing any of those plots, however, despite moments of hope for insightful thought like when David metaphorically reflects:

“Years ago, there used to be a splendid elm tree standing there. And one October afternoon, in a great gale, it fell. What a sight! And a wrenching, tearing sound that seemed to fill the world.”

At one point in the first act, I counted seven audiences members sleeping. My thought at the start of the second act was that this point in the story would have made a better beginning and that most of Act One could be cut. The dialogue is so laced with explanations of past events to give us background that I audibly groaned when one of the characters mentioned a year worth remembering because I thought she probably was going to launch into a prolonged speech to tell us everything that had taken place during it. The doctor suddenly has a monologue about politics; characters sing for reasons that escape me.

Particularly annoying are awkward entrances by the actors throughout. Often actors seem to be walking onto stage and distracting attention  just so they can get to their marks for upcoming lines. Conversation stops, then we hear cued from offstage some lines of dialogue that telegraph, “Here come some more characters.” The two children appear to be posed (there’s a nice porch swing) so the audience will think, “Aww, aren’t they cute?” They need some additional experience on stage to develop technique, however, and we are unable to hear most of their lines (sound design by Jane Shaw).

Tanner is solid, even if her character is not. We’re never quite sure whether she is an overprotective mother who has spoiled her son’s chances at happiness or simply a woman doing the best she can with the life she has been given. Morfogen scores the most laughs. As the old man who frequently nods off, then suddenly wakes in the middle of a conversation, he has lines like, “Does something happen soon? It’s pretty dull, this,” which brought laughs of appreciation from the audience thinking the same thing.

A Day By the Sea plays through Sept. 24. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 pm. Special Wednesday matinee Sept. 21at 2:30 PM Tickets: $57.50 : Telecharge.com; 212-239-6200. More information: minttheater.org.

Additional Credits:

Lighting Design by Xavier Pierce, Sound Design by Jane Shaw, Properties by Joshua Yocum, Dialects and Dramaturgy by Amy Stoller; Hair and Wig Design by Robert Charles Vallance.

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