NEW YORK—Britain's Royal Shakespeare Company is at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) for a brief stay to present Shakespeare's "King Lear" and Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull," both under the direction of Trevor Nunn.
This review concerns "The Seagull," always a welcome sight on any stage. Chekhov has shrewdly created a cast of characters who, beyond representing themselves, are mouthpieces for opposing views on art, particularly writing and acting for the theatre.
Arkadina (Frances Barber), a successful and glamorous but superficial actress, has garnered fame for her less than deep performances. Her son, Konstantin (Richard Goulding), is a struggling playwright who goes against the grain of conventional theatre. Today he would be termed an avant-garde writer.
Arkadina is accompanied by her younger lover, the successful novelist Trigorin (Gerald Kyd), whose work pleases a broad audience.
The trio is spending the summer on the estate of Arkadina's brother Sorin (William Gaunt). The initial high excitement is an anticipated performance of a play that Konstantin has written, to star the ebullient young Nina, a neighbor and budding actress, (Romola Garai).
Sadly, Konstantin's play not only puzzles the audience but garners the disrespect of his mother, whom Konstantin wants so much to please.
In the emotional triangle of Arkadina, Trigorin and Konstantin, the last-named always comes out the loser. When Konstantin is rebuffed by Nina, who is drawn to Trigorin, the young man's painful situation is intensified.
In fact, most of the characters yearn for something or someone they cannot have. Masha (Monica Dolan), daughter of the estate's steward Shamrayev (Guy Williams) longs for Konstantin, who ignores her. Masha ultimately marries the village schoolteacher Medvedenko (Ben Meyles), who adores her, and makes them both miserable.
Shamrayev's wife Polina (Melanie Jessop) has been having an affair with Dorn, the middle-aged doctor (Jonathan Hyde), and wants to leave her husband and marry Dorn. But Dorn refuses to change the pattern of his life so late in life.
Nina and Trigorin later have an affair but this superficial man soon tosses her aside. Contentment in these idyllic surroundings is hard to come by. Chekhov's magic comes sporadically to life. In the last hour of this three-and-a-quarter hour presentation one senses the bittersweet Chekhovian ambiance. There are too frequent displays of melodrama in a play revered for its sense of reality and nuanced intimacy.
As for performances, Frances Barber's Arkadina is the most successful, though one would have wished for more frequent displays of depth in her portrayal. Garai's Nina is touching in the final scenes, although a bit "over the top" in general. There are nice performances by Melanie Jessop, Ben Myles, William Gaunt and Jonathan Hyde.
In spite of some shortcomings this production warrants a visit. Anton Chekhov is a classic playwright, beloved and appreciated for his accurate, albeit painful perceptions of the human spirit, by audiences of every generation everywhere.
The Seagull
Brooklyn Academy of Music
BAM Harvey Theater
651 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, New York
Tickets: 718-636-4100 or BAM. Org
Closes: Sept. 29
Diana Barth writes and publishes "New Millennium," a monthly arts newsletter.
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