|
Regional Reviews: Connecticut and the Berkshires Regional Reviews by Fred Sokol Poe Also see Zander's review of Comedy Is Hard! and Fred's review of Evita
In Baltimore, on election day in 1849, the splendid poet and short story writer had fallen on hard times. Having lost his wife, he was drinking excessively. The dark, worn wooden interior of a tavern (courtesy designer Carl Sprague) will also host voters later on this very day. The play, however, begins during early morning. Maggie (Madeline Calandrillo) works at the bar and she has been influenced by a teacher who has her reading Poe. During early moments, Maggie is in recitation. Connor (J. Andrew Young), son of Cornelius Ryan, runs the operation and he describes Poe as "too macabre for the American public." Poe, unkempt, wearing a black cloak, trousers with a hole in the knee, and scuffed shoes, suddenly appears. He confuses Connor with Cornelius, and then nearly sobs when he finds that the older man has perished. Adkins plays Poe as: wild, hyper-energized, then depressed ... he claims that his wallet has been stolen. Connor cannot have an out-of-control, nearly deranged man on the premises since his pub will soon become a polling station. There is talk of Mrs. O'Donnell (Kate Maguire), a cook stationed out of sight, who is evidently preparing breakfast for Poe. One hour into the performance, she, a former actress who knew Poe's mother, appears. Several moments later, she delivers a segment of Poe's short story, "The Tell-Tale Heart." Poe, who has left the stage, is dragged back into the tavern and he is about to expire. In fact, he says, "I'm dead." Then, the brilliant but afflicted master of the written word speaks of immortality, the "infinite"—before collapsing. Adkins' performance is nothing short of tour-de-force. A veteran of 21 seasons with Berkshire Theatre Group, he combines anarchy with discipline as he sits inside his realization of Edgar Allan Poe. The role demands physicality and this actor delivers as he flies between temperamental extremes. Hill's script encourages such an actor to summon various emotions according to text. Hill is and has been a multi-dimensional asset to live theater. He combines intellectual acuity with knowledge of stage boards—as both a performer and director. Thus, he has zeroed in on Poe, who was actually found in Baltimore when he was not fully conscious. Working from history, Hill has crafted a play which evolves and moves forward... The Poe character is drawn with knowledge of both the man and the genre. This affords Adkins room to create his rendering of this individual. Adkins is put in a position to center and then locate the complexities of the character. The other parts are not particularly revelatory but support the lead and, thus, the focus of Poe. It is a thoughtful and affecting play. Kate Maguire is Artistic Director and CEO of Berkshire Theatre Group. She began working in theater some decades ago as ann actress. Every so often, she takes on a role and she is both at home and adept. She skillfully plays Mrs. O'Donnell. A number of theories abound concerning Poe's demise. He might have died of alcoholism or of some disease of the brain; and there are further conjectures. Playwright Hill has created a scenario and production elements assist. J. Hagenbuckle's sound helps fuel this presentation at key intervals. Carl Sprague's set fits the time and place and David Murin's costuming perfectly matches the time period. Poe continues at the Unicorn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts during Berkshire Theatre Group's fall season, through October 26th, 2014. For tickets, call (413) 997-4444 or visit www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org.
- Fred Sokol |
