While the average college student only reaches deep into his bank account to purchase fake IDs or the occasional concert ticket, it's worth it to dole out money for Darko Tresnjak's production of George Bernard Shaw's Heartbreak House at the distinguished Huntington Theatre Company.
Shaw's brilliant piece takes place in antebellum England on an eccentric old sea captain's country estate. The captain, his daughter, her husband, the maid, and several other memorable guests comprise the house's loony ensemble.
George Bernard Shaw wrote plays to convey his ideas. A socialist thinker, he constantly infused his political views into his plays, along with some carefully crafted digs at Western notions of democracy and capitalism. At the same time, he managed to mold some of the most fascinating and thought-provoking exchanges in dramaturgic history. Heartbreak House leaves the audience both laughing loudly and curiously contemplating long after the curtain falls.
Though most reviews stick the part about behind-the-scene aspects of a production at the end, the set design for this show deserves primary attention. Entering the theater, one looks up at the stage set, a captain's drawing room, and starts to blink.
Why? Because the scenery, designed by Alexander Dodge, was built so that the audience thinks it's looking at a three-dimensional picture. The top of the set - the roof of the room - has two levels: one below and behind the other one. To enhance the effect, the stage itself is slanted down towards the audience.
The advantage of this set design - aside from being really trippy - is that it allows the actors and the director to utilize all of the stage space. Even when the actors are far back on the stage, their actions are still clearly visible to the audience because of the upward slant, which puts them higher up. In all exchanges throughout the first two acts, the person on the higher part of the stage holds the upper hand in the conversation, as well. Tresnjak deserves commendation for using Dodge's set design to add another level to the performance.
Conversely, when the action takes place in the front of the stage, the actors seem closer to the audience, and therefore larger. Tresnjak makes great use of this effect in his blocking patterns, especially with the captain, who keeps toward the front of the stage to emphasize his great physical presence.
The set moves outside after the first two acts. A colossal two-piece set forms the outside of the captain's house, which purposely looks like a ship, with several cannons lined up along the bottom of the two-story house. Again, the director takes advantage of the set design. As bombs start falling near the house at the end of the play, the captain stands atop the balcony of his "ship," shouting out orders for the battle that is now upon them - the onset of World War I.
During this scene of falling bombs and explosions, lighting designer Rui Rita and sound designer Jerry Yager, along with the actors, did a marvelous job of creating a realistic and perilous atmosphere for the audience. All the designers, including costume designer Linda Cho, worked together to make the whole production a heightened sensational experience.
The actors shine, as well. Mia Barron, who plays the role of weekend guest Ellie Dunn, does a superb job of displaying her character's arc. She plays a very innocent, young woman at first and in the second act, makes a clear transition into a stronger character that has more control of her future. She fills the role with grace, making sure the audience goes through the change with her.
Other actors include Amy Van Nostrand, who plays the captain's daughter Mrs. Hushabye, and gives a bundle of energy to this vivacious character. J.P. Linton portrays Captain Shotover, supposedly modeled after Shaw himself, with a dynamic presence and a great sense of timing.
In fairness, the performance did have two noticeable faults worth mentioning. First, Randall Utterwood's temper-tantrums become more irritating and stereotypical than true to his character. Secondly, and more importantly, the British accents dwindle and are at times non-existent. But even an inconsistency of this magnitude becomes hidden under the magnificent performance and the power of Shaw's words.
