BWW Reviews: Williams' Eccentricities in Rep @ A Noise Within

The Eccentricities of a Nightingale
by Tennessee Williams
directed by Damaso Rodriguez
@ A Noise Within, Glendale
through May 28

1948's Summer and Smoke was rewritten in the 60s by Tennessee Williams and what resulted was a more clearly structured/themed play with the same central characters entitled The Eccentricities of a Nightingale. Music teacher Miss Alma, daughter of an Episcopalean minister, was passionately in love with her neighbor young Dr. John Buchanan and when that love was unrequited rather than become a miserable spinster, she turned to prostitution. Now in a rare and lovely production of the refined play @ A Noise Within, Williams poetic spirit is alive and well in Miss Alma, the Spanish word for soul.

Williams removed the violent plot elements of Summer and Smoke, creating a more gentle Dr. John and with the addition of a doting mother, his John becomes a mama's boy incapable of sharing love. He is cold whereas Alma is hot, consumed with passion. In Eccentricities, Alma and John consummate their fondness for one another with a sexual encounter, that despite its much less than perfect results, helps to explain Alma's choice. Spiritual/earthly pleasures tear at Miss Alma, who seems rather an early version of Williams' Blanche Du Bois. Alma's mother is slowly going insane like Blanche and Williams' own mother and sister; as it seems to run in the family, it is no small wonder that Alma attempts to veer away from the destiny of gloom that hangs over her like a cloud.

A Noise Within's production is beautifully staged, acted and directed. Damaso Rodriguez makes full use of the stage to represent Glorious Hill, Mississippi with the town square in the foreground, people passing by in the background and a screen to display fireworks. The screen also serves to project the titles of the various sections of the play, like Feelings of a Singer, Tenderness of a Mother and A Cavalier's Plume. The fountain with its angel is ever present as is the church steeple. In the interior of the Winemiller residence there is movement behind to give the feel of an outer corridor and the screen serves to show the silhouette of Alma's mother sitting in her upstairs room in a state of mental deterioration. Good effect and fine scenic design by Joel Daavid.

The ensemble is excellent. Deborah Puette's Miss Alma is fluttery, with a spirited nervous laugh to mask her consuming inner fire. In spite of an accent that at times makes her words somewhat difficult to comprehend, she maintains a steady sense of propriety throughout which John calls gallantry. Puette's Alma is controlled but effective. Jason Dechert does well as John, making him appropriately reserved, cool and complex. Jill Hill is wonderful with Mrs. Winemiller's desperation and Christopher Callen superb as the obsessive Mrs. Buchanan. The members of Alma's literary club steal that second act scene especially Jacque Lynn Colton as the gossipy and whiney Mrs. Bassett and Dave Kirkpatrick as the awkwardly unappealing Roger Doremus. Mitchell Edmonds is the epitome of stern as Reverend Winemiller and Hank Ostendorf perfectly naive as the Salesman who falls into Alma's trap. Darby Bricker and David LM McIntyre complete the cast.

Summer and Smoke receives more attention and productions than the revised Eccentricities, so it is a treat to see the latter performed. Eccentricities plays in rep with Comedy of Errors and The Chairs through May 28 @ A Noise Within in Glendale.

 

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