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THE SEAGULL

I’ll admit it. When I hear the name Chekhov, the first words that pop into my head are dull,somber, and talky. That’s why it’s such a pleasure to report that the Antaeus Company’srevival of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull not only held my attention virtually throughout, itactually had me laughing more times than I could count. Talky it still may be, withcharacters often choosing monolog over dialog, but wonder of wonders, Seagull directorAndrew Traister and company have brought to life on the Deaf-West stage is indeed thecomedy its playwright intended it to be.

On the first of a pair of Opening Night performances, each with its own cast, JoannaStrapp’s Masha set the evening’s comical tone from the get-go, responding to herlovestruck suitor’s query about her all-black attire with an amusingly curt “I’m in mourningfor my life,” as if to say, “What kind of dolt asks such an idiotic question when the answer isso obvious?” Strapp’s comedic gem of a performance gave Friday’s Opening Nightaudience permission to laugh alongside Chekhov at a cast of characters who take theirlives Very Seriously Indeed.

That these characters are the same as those we’ve seen played deadly dull in pastproductions is nothing short of astonishing, and yet here they are the opposite of dull.There’s 40something stage star Irina Nikolayevna Arkadina, a Diva with a capital D who isso certain of her ability to play a teenager that she proves it—at least to herself—by“tripping on tiptoe” as she imagines a fifteen-year-old girl would. Arkadina has a lover(what else would you expect from a Diva?), the renowned novelist BorisAlexeyevich Trigorin, who bemoans the fact that he will go to his grave “not as good asTurgenev.” The stage star’s twenty-five-year-old son, wannabe playwright Konstantin, is amanic-depressive sort whose plays are the kind of artsy-fartsy messes that still abound in“experimental theater.” Konstantin pines over actress-in-training Nina, a dreamy local girlwho finds herself attracted to the far more dashing Trigorin. Meanwhile, 1890s Centurygoth chick Masha turns her back on her sweet but hotness-challenged suitor, theschoolteacher Medvedenko, in order to moon over Konstantin. Add to this bunch

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Arkadina’s ailing older brother Sorin, estate manager Shamrayev and his wife Paulina,the latter of whom might just be carrying on an affair with physician Dorn, plus a workmannamed Yakov and a nameless maid, and you have plenty of characters to keep usamused.

This is not to say that two-time Scenie-winning director Traister doesn’t have his sterlingcast hit dramatic notes when necessary, or that performances are anything less thanmultilayered. It’s simply that both director and ensemble realize that Chekhov ought to beplayed more entertainingly than, say, paint drying.

In my review of 2010’s The Autumn Garden, I wrote: “The Antaeus Company may well bethe only major L.A. theatrical troupe to regularly double cast its productions, therebyallowing its members and guest artists to accept film and TV assignments without fear ofjeopardizing an evening’s performance by their absence. Unlike understudies, who oftenget no more than a single rehearsal before going on, both Antaeus casts rehearsetogether equally, guaranteeing audiences fully-developed work regardless of which castthey see. If an actor has to miss a show, his or her alternate is available to join the cast ona moment’s notice.”

Prophetic words indeed, for this is precisely what happened on the Opening Night # 2when ”Samovars” leading lady Gigi Bermingham had the misfortune to be felled by foodpoisoning. Another company might have cancelled the performance, or thrown in anunderstudy with probably no more than a single pre-performance run-through, if that.

This being the Antaeus Company, however, the “Rubles” cast’s Arkadina, Laura Wernette,was available to step in to the role she had just played the night before, surrounded thistime however by a brand-new son, lover, and assorted hangers-on. How about that forkeeping an actress on her toes, a challenge Wernette met with divaesque dazzle, toppingher already excellent First Opening Night star turn the second time around.

Surrounding Wernette on Openings 1 & 2 were a pair of stellar ensembles made up ofBrian Abraham, John Achorn, Bill Brochtrup, Avery Clyde, Joe Delafield, Dawn Didawick,

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As editor of StageSceneLA.com, Steven Stanley is one ofLos Angeles' most prolific theater reviewers. He is also theauthor of Moroccan Roll, and an ESL instructor in theEnglish Language Program at California State University,Los Angeles since 1979. (read more)

photo credit: Eric Schwabel

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Bo Foxworth, Gregory Itzin, Antonio Jaramillo, Janice Kent, AdrianLaTourelle, Micheal McShane, Armin Shimerman, Kurtwood Smith, Bonnie Snyder,Strapp, James Sutorius, Reba Waters, Patrick Wenk-Wolff, Jules Wilcox, and Abby Wilde.

It would be foolhardy for this reviewer to play favorites among the two casts, a case ofequally flavorsome apples and bananas. Still, different actors bring different qualities tothe roles they play, making a return visit well worth the purchase of another ticket.

To cite but a few examples, Jaramillo gives Konstantin a dark broodiness (and slightMexican accent) while Delafield’s makes him more boyish and naïve. Pairing Strapp’s altoMasha with Brochtrup’s tenor Medvedenko creates quite different “harmonies” from thosemade by Clyde’s soprano Masha and Wenk-Wolff’s baritone Medvedenko. As for theNinas, to put it in John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles terms, Wilde’s Nina is Molly Ringwaldand Willcox’s is her older sister, the one Molly’s always been overshadowed by eventhough we know she’s every bit as special. In other words, the Antaeus Company’sdouble-casting is that rare case where “Separate But Equal” does indeed prove true.

Past Antaeus Company productions have been design treats, and The Seagull is noexception. Lechetti Design’s scenic design gives this Seagull an impressionist watercolorlook, one which Jeremy Pivnick lights exquisitely, never more so than when back lightingreveals the gauzy interior of Sorin’s country home previously hidden behind pastel river,trees, and sky. A. Jeffrey Schoenberg’s period costumes are as gorgeously detailed aswe’ve come to expect from this master designer. Jeff Gardner’s sound design not only setsthe mood musically but surrounds us with the sounds of a countryside summer or ablustery cold, windy winter’s night. Heather Ho’s impeccably selected property designcomplements all of the above. Lara E. Nall is stage manager.

Following a dreary non-Antaeus production of one of Chekhov’s other classics last year, Iwrote, “I think it’s likely that this reviewer will declare a moratorium on all thingsChekhovian, at least for the foreseeable future.” That was a vow I’m more than glad tohave broken for this brighter, breezier, and far more entertaining The Seagull.

Note: Members of both casts appear together in assorted computer-picked combinationson Thursdays and Fridays.

The Antaeus Company, Deaf West Theatre, 5112 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood.Through April 15. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00. Sundays at 2:00. All rolesdouble cast. See website for casts. Reservations: 818 506-1983www.Antaeus.org

–Steven StanleyMarch 1 and 2, 2012Photos of Rubles (l.) by Karianne Flaathen, Samovars (r.) by Alexandra Goodman

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