Beyond Therapy Launches Williamstown Theatre Festival 2008 Summer Season
Artistic Director Martin Honored With New Sandwich
By: Charles Giuliano - Jun 19, 2008
In a time honored tradition a new sandwich was launched at Papa Charlie's Deli, 28 Spring Street, in the heart of Williamstown. Folks dropped by to sink their teeth into a tasty "Nicholas Martin." The new artistic director, no stranger to Williamstown having directed numerous productions for the Williamstown Theatre Festival, was on hand to pass out pickles and autograph potato chips.
Martin joins WTF after several years as artistic director of the acclaimed Huntington Theatre Company in Boston. In fact, Martin is bringing two Huntington shows with him and will send some productions back to Boston following this initial season. It is a win win for both companies. Next week the Huntington production of "The Atheist" will open in Williamstown on its intimate Nikos stage. And, on July 3, the press opening for the Martin directed musical "She Loves Me" will open on the Main Stage following a successful run in Boston.
The Berkshire Fine Arts, Boston theatre critic, Mark Favermann, reviewed both "The Atheist" and "She Loves Me" during their Huntington runs. You can search the archive on the home page to find the "Atheist" review while coverage of "She Loves Me" is currently posted on our home page. This will give you an idea of what to expect. Both shows will be reviewed by BFA as they open in Williamstown. Also, Larry Murray, of BFA, will provide a full run down of WTF and other arts events in his extensive previews which will be posted just prior to the Fourth of July, holiday weekend which marks the opening of High Season in the Berkshires.
After the long winter and grim mud months it is exciting to welcome the arts back to the Berskhires full throttle. The season of super WTF offerings is particularly anticipated. The summer program has long ago earned a national reputation for its well chosen offerings and professional casts. After the past three seasons of often iffy productions, under the direction of Roger Rees, we look forward to the fresh incentive of Martin. We were fortunate to attend a number of his remarkable Huntington productions.
That said, I wasn't really wild about "Beyond Therapy" which we saw last night. I found it more amusing than funny. Most of that resulted from the very dated feeling of the play by Christopher Durang which may have been hilarious 27 years ago but now seems superannuated and forced. Too many of the references and one liners require a google search to find what they are about. The play "Equus" is mentioned frequently and I was perhaps one of the few in the audience who saw that drama with Richard Burton, the father of Kate Burton, in a starring role. It is ironic to see Kate cast as the madcap therapist in this play as the quirky Mrs. Charlotte Wallace.
The misfit of this production is that a really outstanding cast struggles to bring to life situations and one liners which were timely a generation ago. The plot involves an odd couple, Bruce (Darren Goldstein) and Prudence (Katie Finneran), on a blind date from hell. Their only common thread is that they are both in therapy. Predictably, the therapists are more mad than the patients. Like, what else is new?
Prudence is being treated by a smarmy lothario, Dr. Stuart Framingham (Darrell Hammond). You will recall him as Bill Clinton on "Saturday Night Live." He seduced her early on and makes crude remarks that truly belong to another era. While Bruce, who is struggling with bisexuality and wants to marry Prudence, is seeing Mrs. Wallace. As always, Burton brings far more to this play than it actually deserves. She has the remarkable gift to create amazing moments from the slimmest text. You must see this play for no other reason than yet another encounter with this remarkable actress.
Her character can't get words, individuals, and files in order. To encourage her clients she barks at them with a Snoopy doll. But, here again, when was the last time you encountered Snoopy? That played a lot better 27 years ago but now it just seems totally nutty.
Finneran is quite wonderful in making the most of the vintage neurotic Prudence. Today, of course, she would sue her therapist rather than put up with his sexist crap. Similarly, one of the first remarks that Bruce makes to her during their blind date is "I like your breasts." To which she chirps a benign 'Thank you.' It is hard to imagine a woman today being so restrained. While Finneran is mostly quite nice as Prudence the director, Alex Timbers, has her screaming so loudly and hysterically that it is a wonder she has kept her voice during the run of this play.
Bob, the lover of the serendipitous Bruce, is played as a gay cartoon by Matt McGrath down to the limp wrist and lisp. Again, spare me. That is so yesterday and not all that funny in hindsight. We have come too far to go back to those stereotypes. There is another gay cartoon, Bryce Pinkham, as the waiter, Andrew. He runs off with Bob who is sick of competing with Prudence and Bruce's other female dates.
Bruce has the fantasy that Prudence will marry him and bear their children. She, in turn, is so desperate for a relationship that she actually considers the option. It's better than getting screwed, in more ways than one, by her therapist. Bruce fantasizes that they will live happily ever after in Connecticut with Bob bunking over the garage for a bit of fun on the side. Hey, Bruce, in your dreams baby, get real.
The issue, however, is that this play hovers somewhere between drama/ comedy and farce. All it needs is five doors. Instead we get the marvelous rotating set designed by Walt Spangler. The set, like so much in this production including the lighting, costumes and acting are truly top notch. But why waste all that talent and effort on a second rate play?