PicksInSix Review: Seagull - Steppenwolf Theatre Company
A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy
There were many standout performances on Saturday night at the press performance of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s “Seagull,” the first-ever production in The Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell, the crown jewel of the Liz and Eric Lefkosky Arts and Education Center. It’s all part of a multi-phase $73 million expansion plan for the Steppenwolf campus on North Halsted. And it’s magnificent!
With no slight intended to the superb cast that translator/adapter/director Yasen Peynahov has assembled for “Seagull,” the most significant performance of the night was the gleaming Ensemble Theater itself – a steep pitched, in the round 400-seat gem outfitted with state-of-the-art technology that extends well past the visually arresting stage to areas above and below that will serve Steppenwolf’s aspirations for the campus as a complete performance and educational center for decades to come. Bravo!
In the midst of Peynahov’s crisp and concise adaptation of Chekhov’s “Seagull” was Steppenwolf co-founder Jeff Perry—one of Chicago’s most celebrated actors—in the role of Peter Nikolaevich Sorin, the patriarch of the family whose summer estate by the lake is the playful setting for Chekhov’s generational drama of unrequited love. There is a special chemistry that Perry shares with Lusia Strus, who plays Sorin’s sister Irina, a renowned stage actress. Their heartfelt stage presence and the compassion for each other is palpable and central to the evolving story of Irina’s son, a young struggling playwright, Konstantin (Namir Smallwood) whose love for Nina (Caroline Neff) becomes an obsession that ultimately drives Nina away and into an affair with Boris Trigorin (Joey Slotnick) who is a well-known author and Irina’s lover.
Konstantin is oblivious to the affections of Masha (Karen Rodriquez) who is the daughter of the caretaker Ilya (Keith Kupferer) and yearns for his affections, sharing confidences with the doctor Yevgeny Dorn (Eric Simonson) who is coupled with Polina Andreevna (Sandra Marquez). John Hudson Odom plays Semyon Medvedenko, while Elijah Newman is everywhere as Yakov.
Peyankov has found a unique accessibility in Chekhov’s work, expertly compressing it to two well-paced acts and building around the sordid affair between Nina and Trigorin. Things smolder when they are together and their passion resonates, fanning the rejection and remorse that drive’s Konstantin’s own frustration with Nina early on. For a time, we believe in the possibility that Konstantin, who lives in the shadow of his famous mother, might rise above the torment and heartache that is all encompassing. But it is not to be. When Nina finally returns, broken and deranged, she is still undeterred in her love for Trigorin, a final rejection too great for Smallwood’s keenly introspective Konstantin to bear.
The stunning scenic element of the night is an impressive multi-purpose hydraulic system courtesy of scenic designer Todd Rosenthal which combines with evocative lighting by Marcus Doshi and sound design by Pornchanok Kanchanabanca, who also contributes original music. Ana Kuzmanic’s stellar costume creations, particularly for Strus, are a highlight. Overall, one of the most impressive aspects of this new space is the natural and rich acoustic design that allows even the hushed whispers to be heard with clarity and nuance from every seat in the house. A sign of things to come.
Casting Note: Scott Jaeck joins the cast in the role of Sorin from May 24-June 5.
PHOTO|Michael Brosilow
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
presents
Ensemble Theater
1650 N. Halsted St.
through June 12, 2022
(312) 335-1650
WEBSITE
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