'St. Ives': Mothers and Monsters at Everyman

One might think that after starting a season with two back-to-back blockbusters (Opus, School for Scandal) Everyman Theatre would maybe pause to collect itself.  Apparently, there is, I'm happy to report, no let up in sight.  This weekend the theatre continued its winning streak with the opening of Going to St. Ives a two-hander by Lee Blessing.  The production has truly been blessed with two magnificent actresses - both sure to be vying for honors come awards season - plus a gifted director, and a stunning technical team.  Would that the script was as tightly executed as the production.

Mr. Blessing, having found much success with a similar piece, A Walk in the Woods, featuring tour de force roles for two actors, probably hoped lightning would strike twice with a similar formula, only for two actresses.  The plot of St. Ives concerns two women, both mothers, and both with renown, albeit for entirely different reasons.  Both are forced to make decisions that go against their strong belief systems, and both wield their powers to great effect.  When the play does what it should, the tension is high, and one cares what will happen next.  (To tell more would be to give away much of the play's strengths; you need to see it to fully appreciate it.)  It is only when the play becomes repetitive and self-righteous that it lacks in any way.  To be sure, his writing is often full of beautiful, poetic passages, and has the requisite wit and catchy one-liners the theatre literati demands.  It is also chuck full of moral questions, political implications, and wordy arias for both ladies.  Perhaps that is the problem with the play - it is chuck full, hits all the right notes, and still falls somewhat flat.  Blessing seems a little too enraptured by himself, including several rather self-indulgent passages of material already covered.  For example, in act two, one of the characters delves into a lengthy monologue about her past and how it has sadly collided with her present, and ultimately has doomed her future.  As the character launches into it, you just know you are supposed to be so moved - angered, repulsed, saddened and, hopefully, grieving with her - by the time it is over.  Unfortunately, most of the ideas, if not the gruesome details, had already been given to us earlier.  The result is almost no dramatic tension, and a decidedly under-whelming response from the audience.  (It practically begs for applause through tears.)  Had Blessing not already let our imaginations fill in the blanks that the monologue fills in, it might have had much more impact. 

And yet, those faults with the script, which I admit, may not be a problem for others, should in no way keep you from attending a performance.  In the balance, not attending would be a far greater loss.  First and foremost, you will be missing two performances likely to be the talk of Baltimore for the rest of the winter. Lynn Chavis and Kimberly Schraf both command the stage with quiet, controlled ferocity that is utterly captivating.  When they are at odds, the fireworks are spectacular; when they see eye to eye, the camaraderie is deeply moving.  And most appealing is their incredibly natural give and take of the stage.  This play could easily be a nasty case of dueling divas, each upstaging the other.  Instead, they let the relationship grow, ebb and flow as a real relationship would.  Brava to both fine actresses for putting the play before any personal need to gain.  In fact, that constant give and take lends an extra level of tension, as you wonder which character/actress will burst first.  The answer to that (I'm not telling) should leave you enthralled and perplexed, much as their delicious performances are bound to.

A great deal of the success of the production belongs to the director, Juanita Rockwell, who has guided the evening with a sure, steady hand.  Keeping both actresses tightly reined in, and carefully doling out the tension and pathos is what really gives the play its sparkling life.  Ms. Rockwell keeps things at a brisk pace, which really helps those longer, drawn out moments.  Steve Satta, the dialect coach, has also done a magnificent job with both actresses.  Their accents are completely believable and never falter.

As always, Everyman has presented a top-notch production technically.  One never has to worry whether or not one will get his money's worth in that regard.  The always amazing Daniel Ettinger has created not one but two complete sets for Going to St. Ives; one astonishing for its austerity and sobering chill, the other astonishing for its warmth and beauty, which includes, among other things, a bubbling pond.  Of course, Ettinger's settings perfectly mirror the very qualities of the women who call each place home, and create the perfect metaphor for the entire work.  Similarly, Kathleen Geldard's costumes do as much to define these women as any 10 pages of dialogue.  Jay Herzog's lighting, too, reflects that glaring dichotomy.  And all three add to the perplexing reminder that here, just because one wraps oneself up in cold seclusion or revels in an Eden-like environment, doesn't mean there is safety in loneliness or peace in a warm paradise.  

It is (sadly) becoming more rare to find a production that is so completely and correctly intertwined.  Everything in this production, from two major performances, to excellent direction, to fantastic technical elements adds to the whole - and leaves you with as many questions as answers.  Everyman's production makes a trip to this St. Ives worth the journey.

 

PHOTOS: TOP to BOTTOM: Lynn Chavis (L) and Kimberly Schraf; Lynn Chavis; Kimberly Schraf (R, foreground).  All photos by Stan Barouh, courtesy of Everyman Theatre. 

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