The Dance of Death
Written by August Strindberg
Adapted by Conor McPherson
Directed by Henry Wishcamper
Writers Theatre, 644 Vernon, Glencoe (map)
thru July 20 | tickets: $35-$70 | more info
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Fearless cast, intimate space make for emotional fireworks
Writers Theatre presents
The Dance of Death
Review by Oliver Sava
Put two actors like Larry Yando and Shannon Cochran in a tight space like the theater in the back of Glencoe’s Books On Vernon and you’re guaranteed to get fireworks. These two could perform the menu of the neighboring Einstein Bros Bagels and make it a riveting dramatic experience, and they approach this script with a fearless ferocity that fills the room with tension. The Dance of Death is one of August Strindberg’s most accessible scripts, detailing a troubled marital relationship that would serve as a major influence for Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and this new adaptation by Irish playwright Conor McPherson wonderfully balances humor and drama to pull the audience into the claustrophobic world of these characters.
Like George and Martha in Virginia Woolf, Edgar and Alice reach a breaking point when an outside party interrupts their familiar hateful dynamic. Kurt (Philip Earl Johnson) is the man who set up the couple all those years ago, and while he may appear sheepish and demure on the outside, there’s a beast within him that eventually gets the opportunity to burst free, turning the prison cell into a zoo cage when these three wild animals go at it.
From the very start, Yando is the primary source of venom in this relationship, with an aggressive personality that has a constant undercurrent of disdain. Yando excels when playing these types of broken characters that have a delusional view of themselves and a negative opinion of everyone else, and the delight Edgar takes in attacking others contributes to much of the play’s humor. Both of the spouses find a certain pleasure in pushing the other’s buttons, and there’s a sense of accomplishment when they deliver a remark that truly stings.
All the humor is underlined by pain, and it’s fascinating to see how the performances change when the characters become aware of their mortality and their need to have someone to share their short lives with. Cochran undergoes an intense emotional journey over the course of the play, gradually asserting more and more power in the relationship as Edgar weakens and she finds a new object of affection in the mannered, gentle Kurt, who surprises both Alice and the audience with his bloodlust.
Henry Wishcamper’s direction makes great use of the tight space to allow for more subtle emotional moments, but for most of the production, the intimacy of the stage works to bombard the viewer with emotional force. These actors could have easily done this in Writers’ larger space and filled it without changing their performances, but the confines of the Books On Vernon location make the script hit with even more force.
Rating: ★★★½
The Dance of Death continues through July 20th at Writers Theatre, 644 Vernon Avenue, Glencoe (map), with performances Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:30pm, Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays 4pm/8pm, Sundays 2pm/6pm. Tickets are $35-$70, and are available by phone (847-242-6000) or online through their website (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at WritersTheatre.org. (Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes, includes an intermission)
Photos by Michael Brosilow
artists
cast
Shannon Cochran (Alice), Philip Earl Johnson (Kurt), Larry Yando (Edgar)
behind the scenes
Henry Wishcamper (director), Kevin Depinet (scenic design), Rachel Laritz (costume design), Keith Parham (lighting design), Josh Schmidt (sound design), Julie Eberhardt (props design), David Woolley (fight choreographer), Tommy Rapley (choreographer), Greg Allen (assistant director), Rebecca Pechter (stage manager), Michael Brosilow (photos)
14-0415
