A dog, a cement pit, and a holiday tradition

Sylvia, by A.R. Gurney, is a quirky little comedy that ran off-Broadway in the 1990’s and is now enjoying a brief Broadway run, starring Matthew Broderick, Annaleigh Ashford and Julie White.

It’s a simple story. A husband, played by a shlumpy Matthew Broderick, finds a dog in Central Park and brings her home. His wife, performed by a buttoned up Julie White, is just getting used to having an empty nest and has no interest whatsoever in the responsibility of a dog. The husband, looking for some meaning in life, finds his best friend in his adoring new pet. Conflict between the spouses about the new creature in the house ensues. Nothing really special there. But, the unique part of this story is that the character of the dog, Sylvia, is played by a woman, in this production’s case, the always delightful Annaleigh Ashford. Yes, a woman plays the character of a dog.

Credit: Matthew Broderick and Annaleigh Ashford Photo credit: Joan Marcus

Annaleigh does a great job creating the illusion of a pooch and at times you may even find yourself forgetting she is a human. There is a fourth actor, Robert Sella, who plays three different roles, one as a man, one as a woman, and one as an individual with an ambiguous gender.

The play feels like it is just one long joke that doesn’t warrant an intermission or the two hours in length. It could likely work much better if some scenes were cut (liberally) and it was a swift 90 minute piece with no intermission. I will say the ending is very sweet, and actually quite moving, but the show feels a bit dated (especially with the ambiguous gender character) and over-written.

However, for folks who really love dogs, this might be a fun evening out. You can even provide a few minutes of fame for your own dog. The producers invite you to share a photo of your pooch on Instagram or Twitter using #WeLoveSylvia. Following the curtain call, you will see the photo projected on a screen on stage.

Sylvia, directed by Daniel Sullivan, runs only through January 3.
www.sylviabroadway.com

*****

On to Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge. Now, this production has no intermission and should have one. You are warned that if you leave at any time during the two hours (!) you will not be permitted back into the theatre. Great starting a show with a warning. And two hours with no intermission?

Next, there is stage seating. I must tell you, I hate stage seating. Oh, it’s not that I don’t like being on stage. I love being on stage, but only when I am supposed to be there as a performer, not as a theater-goer. First of all, it’s distracting seeing other audience members seated across from me.(My eye kept going to someone in a white shirt.) Second, if I want to close my eyes, I can’t. It can feel like torture. And this raw, stripped down, minimalistic presentation of A View From The Bridge, felt a bit like that. Transplanted from the UK, this Young Vic production, directed by Ivo Van Hove, creates the ambience of spectators bearing witness to a Greek tragedy. There is a lot of yelling (with no real emotion supporting it), symbolism that becomes ridiculous, and actors who keep circling each other. Now, I know Ben Brantley of the New York Times gave this production a stupendous review.  We are all entitled to our opinions, but…really? Aside from the convention of having all the actors placed in a cement pit, with no shoes, wearing costumes that are not period specific, the most stunning problem with this production are the accents of many of the British performers. Usually the British are excellent at sounding American (and in this case, Brooklyn) but not so with this production. Obvious British accents kept creeping out from at least four of the actors. The worst were Phoebe Fox, who plays the central character of Catherine, and Michael Gould, who plays the lawyer, Alfieri, serving as the narrator of the piece. I felt at a certain point in the play, they even just stopped trying to attempt the Brooklyn, New York accent, because it was just too hard .

Photo credit: Jan Versweyveld

Another convention used in this production was the constant low, rumbling sound design that persisted throughout the entire two hours. Was that to signify something ominous was about to occur? The tension that exists between the characters? The internal conflict that plagues Eddie? The incestuous feelings he can’t hide? The undertones of homosexuality? Take your pick. Whatever, it was annoying. And unnecessary.

The ending of this A View From the Bridge took me back to Greenwich Village in the 1960’s when experimental theatre was shocking and in your face. Now, the odd choice for the final scene just seemed awfully silly. (By the way, note the drain in the cement pit, as it is needed for the beginning and end of the play.)

At the conclusion, two hours later, after the box that surrounded the cement pit descended, capping the pit (and enclosing the actors) with the box, the audience leapt to their feet.
I just sat there and shook my head asking myself, “is it me?”

http://www.aviewfromthebridgebroadway.com/

Finally, something happy to report. It’s time once again for A Christmas in Italy, starring Cristina Fontanelli. Cristina has an astounding voice and is an engaging story teller. This will be the 12th annual Christmas in Italy production and you can expect to hear rousing Neapolitan and Christmas classics, as well as famous operatic arias. A Christmas in Italy is a wonderful way to enjoy the holidays with friends and family.

Photo credit: Rob Klein

Saturday Dec. 19 at 3 pm at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.

For tickets and information: http://nyuskirball.org/calendar/fontanelli2015