BWW Reviews: Seagull Project's THREE SISTERS is So Good it Hurts

Every season productions come along that are so good that they remind me why us theater folk perform, produce and see theater. Personally, these are the shows that recharge my theatrical batteries so I can sit through the not so great ones (I'm looking at you "Flashdance: The Musical"). Such a show is the latest installment from The Seagull Project, Chekhov's "The Three Sisters" which manages such clarity of story, intent and meaning that you can practically feel the pain and frustration in the character's lives along with them.

Now I know some of you, Dear Readers, may shy away from this 114 year old Russian play from the head of the "life is bleak" club but don't. Oh the bleak is still there with sisters Olga, Masha and Irina (Julie Briskman, Alexandra Tavares and Sydney Andrews) and their brother Andrey (John Abramson) but so is the zest for life and their dreams which brings in the lightness, hope and humor to the piece where these characters strive for more than they can have. The schoolteacher Olga is on the track to become Headmistress at the high school but wants more. Masha wants more than her fool of a husband can give her. Young Irina just wants to go back to their hometown of Moscow and find love. And Andrey is looking to become a promising professor and marry his love but his love turns out to be his downfall when he gets her. Yes, it's all so horrible as they keep reminding us throughout the play but it's that insistence of hope that keeps us invested which only makes their woes all the more painful.

It's no small wonder the show is so rich and clear and able to recharge those batteries as the director is John Langs who has a habit of turning in many of those recharging plays every season. His vision of the piece and his gracefully deliberate and inventive staging is so engaging that you cannot help but become folded up into the lives of these wonderfully rich characters. And speaking of the characters, the ensemble of actors are spot on perfect in each role and basically from the theater gods.

Briskman's matriarch of the house is so warm and giving that you cannot help but love her. Andrews' light and optimistic drive are infectious and as you watch that light continue to be trampled upon throughout it becomes heartbreaking. And speaking of heartbreaking, Tavares begins so closed off only to blossom when she finds love that when it's taken away it becomes unbearable. And even in her final moments of the piece as her wailing pierces your soul they still managed to find some humor giving the audience that wonderful laughter through the tears feeling. Abramson turns in a stunning performance of a beaten down man and makes for the perfect whipping boy to his malevolently self centered wife beautifully played by Hannah Victoria Franklin. But it's not just the family that shines. Every member of this tight ensemble gives 150% yet still makes their brilliance look effortless. David Quicksall couldn't be more of the stalwart and affable soldier and you can easily see why Masha falls for him. And on the other end of the spectrum, Tyler J. Polumsky may still be affable as the dashing Solyony but his underlying sinister nature is palpable. And Peter Crook is completely loveable as the aging drunken doctor as are CT Doescher as Irinia's eager suitor and Brandon J. Simmons as Masha's pompous husband but each manages to convey their own desperate sadness even through their humor.

This is just one of those all around perfect shows with every element falling easily into place which is no small surprise from Langs who's proven to be one of the best directors in town. I cannot stress enough how much you want to do yourself a favor and catch this stirring production filled with theater professionals at the top of their game. It's truly a mesmerizing production that will stay with you long afterwards and completely deserves my highest WOW rating from my three letter rating system. The Seagull Project's "The Three Sisters" is simply a remarkable production that demands to be seen.

"The Three Sisters" from The Seagull Project performs at ACT through February 8th. For tickets or information contact the ACT box office at 206-292-7676 or visit them online at www.acttheatre.org.

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