Human desire is a powerful aphrodisiac, so is the need for forgiveness for one's sins. Both come to the fore with the Mint Theatre Company's riveting revival of Leo Tolstoy's 1886 drama The Power of Darkness, staged for the first time in New York since 1959.
Containing infidelity, a bad marriage, drunkenness, deceit, despair and duplicity (all in the first few minutes), the work is a searing portrait of the dangers of human excess and what some will do in the names of money, security, and those they presume to love.
Set in a Russian peasant home in 1886 and 1887, we meet Pyotr Ignatich (Peter Bretz) a somewhat lazy drunkard and his much younger second wife Anisya (Angela Reed), who's in love with their hired man Nikita (Mark Alhadeff). Nikita returns Anisya's affection, though her stepdaughter Akulina (Anne Letscher) has begun to suspect the two. Nikita's mother (Randy Danson) approaches Anisya with a plan to turn circumstances to their mutual advantage; one that involves poison. All looks rosy thereafter until Nikita's wandering eye catches the attention of Akulina, who schemes to become the new mistress of the house.
With definite soap opera elements, much of the first act could be played as a comedy and indeed there are several funny moments. Tolstoy however, is much more concerned with the darker side of human nature and as the play moves on, the characters are not only made to suffer for their past misdeeds but in some cases, are forced to commit even greater acts of cruelty in order to keep their secrets buried.
For a nearly three-hour play (the first act runs one hour, 45 minutes), there isn't an ounce of fat to be seen in the production. Tolstoy takes his time introducing us to these characters and their situations and slowly draws the audience into this fascinatingly twisted tale. Much of this is thanks to Martin Platt's new English translation of the work and Platt's almost superb directing chores. (Aside from staging more than one sequence behind a pillar, obstructing the view for some of the audience, a situation that could have been handled with some blocking changes, the piece is presented beautifully).
The cast is letter perfect. Among the standouts are Danson as a scheming woman who has echoes of Lady Macbeth; Reed, who changes from a browbeaten woman trapped in two unhappy marriages to a dominant force determined to keep control of her family and home. Alhadeff turns in a brilliant performance as Nikita, going from an amoral Don Juan, blaming everyone but himself for his misfortunes, to someone who finally goes too far, realizes what he has done and doesn't know where to turn. Also very good is Steve Brady as Nikita's god-fearing and righteous father, who at first seems just a simple, old man, but in the end is the strongest of all.
Also deserving of mention are the sets by Bill Clarke, costumes by Holly Poe Durbin and lighting by Jeff Nellis, all of which help to create the proper atmosphere for the play.
Also in the cast are Jennifer Bissell, Goldie Zwiebel, Jeff Steitzer, Letitia Lange, Alok Tweari, Lisa Altomare, Matthew A.J. Gregory and Peter Levine.
The Power of Darkness
Presented by the Mint Theatre Company
311 West 43rd Street
Tickets: 212-315-0321 or www.minttheater.org
Closes: November 4, 2007
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication The Stage.
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