Review: East of Eden (Steppenwolf Theatre)

  
  
East of Eden 

Adapted by Frank Galati
From the novel by John Steinbeck  
Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted (map)
thru Nov 15 |  tix: $20-$89  | more info
  
Check for half-price tickets  
  

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Beautiful slow burn

Steppenwolf Theatre presents

East of Eden

Review by Lauren Whalen 

In its first season without former Artistic Director Martha Lavey, Steppenwolf Theatre Company is pulling out all the stops. Its opener East of Eden is directed by company co-founder Terry Kinney and adapted by acclaimed writer, director and actor Frank Galati. In addition to an impressive lineup of company members, including Kate Arrington, Francis Guinan and beloved mainstay Tim Hopper, East of Eden features out-of-town talent and rising young stars. The results are mixed: East of Eden starts with a slow and utterly dry first act. Once the real drama begins, however, the play motors toward a heartbreaking climax and a resolution that’s pure emotion.

At the turn of the century, Adam Trask (Hopper) seeks a brand-new start, purchasing California land for himself and his pregnant wife Cathy (Arrington) from the gregarious Samuel Hamilton (Guinan). But soon trouble is afoot: after giving birth to twin sons, Cathy makes a violent exit from the Trask homestead only to resurface in town with a new identity and way of life. Adam leaves the care of his sons to Chinese servant Lee (Stephen Park) while carrying a torch for his wife. As the twins grow, feisty Caleb (Aaron Himelstein) and sweet-natured Aron (Casey Thomas Brown) befriend schoolmate Abra (Brittany Uomoleale) and remain devoted to one another – until Caleb makes a discovery that sets in motion a series of life-changing and tragic events.

This East of Eden takes the form of an old-school epic, with three acts and a nearly three-hour running time including two intermissions. The production’s biggest drawback is its first act, which centers on Adam and Cathy’s fractured relationship before, during and immediately after the birth of their sons. Each act is easily its own story arc, but Galati doesn’t seem to have received that memo where Act One is concerned. The play’s first hour drags, with unexpectedly dry performances from the usually vibrant and charismatic Arrington and Hopper. Other than Park, who remains stiff and uncomfortable throughout, only Guinan attempts to inject his dialog with any sort of character in the first part of the play. Most of Act One’s dialog appeared to have been lifted directly from John Steinbeck’s text, without any thought of how it would sound rather than read. In truth, the play’s first third had me poised for a very long afternoon.

   

However, the entrance of the three youngest cast members at the beginning of the second act is a game-changer. Brown, Uomoleale (fresh off her breakout performance in last season’s closer, Grand Concourse), and especially Himelstein (returning to Steppenwolf after a stellar turn in 2014’s Russian Transport), display an understanding of Steinbeck’s language and sense of story that I wish their older counterparts would emulate. I was riveted as Aron, Abra and Caleb bickered, shared secrets and formed alliances – their dynamics are far more compelling and relatable than Adam and Cathy’s. Once the trio take over the stage, you feel Steinbeck’s spirit in the theater. Walt Spangler’s set (which incorporates a magnificent and imposing tree) takes on a more grand scale, David Weiner’s lighting becomes more vivid, and the live incidental music is more deeply felt. Himelstein in particular is an incendiary presence: thanks to his powder keg of energy and feeling, Caleb’s rise and fall is an exercise in gorgeous brutality.

As my viewing companion and I discussed afterwards, East of Eden’s first act could use improvement in one of two ways. Either Adam and Cathy’s early story could be its own arc, or the entire act could have been encompassed in a shorter prologue. As it is, East of Eden’s first third is a necessary evil for the striking, rich drama of Acts Two and Three. If you can hold on through the inaugural hour, Steppenwolf’s season opener is ultimately worth seeing.

Rating: ★★★

East of Eden continues through November 15th at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted (map), with performances Tuesdays-Sundays at 7:30pm, matinees on Wednesdays at 2pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm.  Tickets are $20-$89, and are available by phone (312-335-1650) or online through their website (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at Steppenwolf.org.  (Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes, includes two intermissions)

 

Photos by Michael Brosilow 

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artists

cast

Kate Arrington (Cathy Trask), Francis Guinan (Samuel Hamilton), Tim Hopper (Adam Trask), Alan Wilder (Dr. Murphy, Mr. Bacon), Casey Thomas Brown (Aron Trask), Aaron Himelstein (Caleb Trask), Elizabeth Laidlaw (Eva, Mrs. Bacon, Nurse), Stephen Park (Lee), Brittany Uomoleale (Abra Bacon), Dan Waller (Joe, Will Hamilton), Sara Bues, James D. Farruggio, Carolyn Molloy, Ty Olwin, Chuck Spencer, Charlie Strater, Ben Veatch (understudies)

musicians

Ben Melsky (harp), Kyra Saltman (cello)

behind the scenes

Terry Kinney (director), Walt Spangler (scenic design), Mara Blumenfeld (costume design), David Weiner (lighting design), Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen (sound design and original music), Matt Hawkins (fight choreographer), Erica Daniels (casting), Malcolm Ewen (stage manager), Christine D. Freeburg (assistant stage manager), Aaron Snook (asst. director), Frances Limoncelli (script supervisor), Steve Sorenson (asst. lighting design), Stephanie Cluggish (associate costume design), Elise Kauzlaric (dialect coach), Kathleen Barrett, Joe Creen, Julian Gonzalez, Ivy Reid, Vanessa Rundle (run crew), Jessica Doan, Sarah Diefenbach (wardrobe crew), Elizabeth Laidlaw (fight captain), Lauren Wiejak (birth consultant), Dr. Huping Ling (Chinese American History consultant), Jaclynn Joslin (stage management apprentice), Michael Brosilow (photos)

 

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