BWW Reviews: ACT 1's WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? - Edward Albee's scathing evisceration of marriage and indictment of suburban morality - is brought to the Nashville stage once again in a superbly acted and confidently directed production from Artists Cooperative Theatre 1 (ACT 1). First staged by ACT 1 in its 1989-90 season in a critically-lauded staging directed by Peg Allen and headed by a cast that included A. Sean O'Connell, it is revived now as part of the company's 20^th anniversary season, once again proving the power of Albee's exquisitely created words and plot and the frankly horrifying characters whose lives play out onstage.

Director Michael Roark's effective staging of the piece - and the spectacularly theatrical, yet somehow low-key and effectively underplayed, performances of Melissa Bedinger Hade and Ed Amatrudo - adds to the visceral reactions experienced by the audience in this almost epic dismantling of an American marriage, circa 1960-something. With its laser-sharp examination of the shifting loyalities and the constant struggles that any two people who are joined in a marriage must deal with, Virginia Woolf is, at once, frighteningly brilliant and brilliantly frightening. The still-compelling script, which very possibly packs more of an emotional wallop today than it did when it first premiered, may well prove that Albee's play always has been (and always will be, I suspect) ahead of its time with the searing, soul-baring truths it expresses so eloquently and exposes so daringly.

Playwright Albee takes no prisoners in his depiction of the crumbling facade of the marriage of the down-at-heels George (who finds no solace in his confining tenure as an associate professor at a small New England college) and boozy, blowsy Martha (the fading ingenue, a good 20 years past her prime, who still banks on her status as daughter of the college's president to ensure her social standing); instead he presents them, warts and all, with a spotlight shining brightly on the perceived differences that pull them apart on a daily basis, while keeping in the shadows those disturbing facts that keep them yoked to each other despite their hurtful actions and pitiable reactions. They are presented in counterpoint to their youthful guests Nick and Honey, a newly arrived member of the biology faculty and his mousy wife (who represent the younger halves of George and Martha and their dashed hopes and faded dreams).

Certainly, Albee's bold examination of the colorful fantasies and the grim realities that comprise any life, any marriage, any union, any thing, is as stunningly real as any other modern American play that's come along since its 1962 debut. Almost in spite of Albee's sometimes convoluted structure and overly contrived situations, this is an example of late 20^th century American drama at its zenith.

But perhaps more importantly, this specific production does exactly what good theatre should always do: It challenges the viewer, making him think (perhaps about things he'd prefer not to), while compelling him to examine his own life in comparison to what's happening onstage. The playwright, through the noble efforts of the director and cast, forces the audience member to witness the horrors inflicted on (and by) George and Martha and their young guests Nick and Honey.

It's not for the faint of heart; this is not a life anyone would ever fantasize about living (as is often the case when one takes a flight of fancy via live theatrical performance) as it focuses on the dissolution of years of marriage and never-ending pretense in a booze-filled evening of fun and games that spirals deliriously out of control into a never-ending night of all-out marital warfare. It leaves you longing for the cold, dim light of a too-early morning, completely spent and thoroughly drained of all emotion.

Staging Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a daunting task for any director and Roark courageously takes up the challenge to deliver a production that soars far beyond what could be expected. He is aided, of course, by the tremendously adept Hade and Amatrudo whose onstage chemistry is palpable, making their characters' interactions all the more unsettling and disquieting. This ACT 1 revival delivers a night of live theatre that moves at a good clip despite the production's almost three hours' running time, which on opening night included two intermissions that were excessively long.

Hade's Martha and Amatrudo's George are as good as it gets in local theatre - oh, screw the "local," they are nothing short of amazing and their performances in this production could hold their own in comparison to anything we've seen. Hade's earth-motheriness, cloaked in her boundless heart and emotional delivery, remains somehow understated (embuing Martha with warmth - who knew?) despite the character's outrageously over-the-top carriage and demeanor. Amatrudo's performance is revelatory as he effectively becomes George, giving line readings that are almost musical in his intriguingly unexpected rhythms. Both Hade and Amatrudo are well-cast and they prove themselves capable of anything director Roark - and, clearly, playwright Albee - throws their way; theirs is an onstage pairing as ideal as that of George and Martha (who, obviously, are meant to always be together).

Starina Johnson gives a poignant portrayal of Honey that is richly nuanced, as she intelligently refuses to make the easy choice, relying instead on her innate abilities to create a credible and complex characterization. Matthew Scott Baxter plays Nick rather more petulant than I would prefer seeing and sometimes comes across as a spoiled child rather than as a virile, sexy, would-be lover for the aging Martha. Ultimately, though, Baxter finds his dramatic footing and delivers a performance that is both competent and confident. Like their older counterparts, the onstage chemistry of Johnson and Baxter is strongly felt, lending heft to their performances.

Paul J. Cook's lighting adds to the dramatic tension of the play, shifting focus from one character to another as the script dictates and underscoring the plot's finer points. Pat Rulon's costumes are ideally chosen for each character and capture the play's early 1960s milieu beautifully.

- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? By Edward Albee. Directed by Michael Roark. Presented by ACT 1 at Darkhorse Theatre, 4610 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville. Through April 3. For tickets, call the box office at (615) 726-2281 or visit the company's website at www.act1online.com.

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