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| 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
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
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
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.
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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