Eve Best in The Homecoming

I too had a similar reaction to Eve Best's performance. Like you I was not familiar with the play and am trying to gain a better understanding of the play. You are not alone. I also do not consider myself an amateur theatre goer and am trying to make sense of the play.

Actually, of all the cast members, Eve Best did by far the most effective job of capturing Pinter's style and intentions for the character. Pinter's work is characterized by a particular brand of cold, intense, emotionally detached absurdism (almost at times to the point of surrealism), purposely punctuated with pauses and silences -- Pinter actually writes "pauses" in the text -- to raise the level of anxiety and tension. This isn't naturalism -- not by a long shot -- so expecting characters to behave as real people would in a similar situation is off the mark. In this play, Pinter is (among other things) making a commentary on the nature of "family" and the social dynamics and gamesmanship one finds within groups of people and he reduces how we often go about negotiating our needs and wants within a group setting down to the most basic animalistic level.

The entire play is one giant constant power play between the participants (and some play better than others). Everyone wants something and has a need to find a way to dominate the others in a effort to be the "top dog": the father uses verbal insults and his constant menacing with his cane (though because of his age, such gestures are hollow and toothless), the brother from America tries to impress with his fancy job and intellect, the boxer brother uses his physicality, the pimp through his cunning and the implicit danger and violence inherent in his line of work (Esparza doesn't quite convey just how scary Lenny is supposed to be), Sam through his steadiness, reliability and promixity to the rich/powerful people he chauffers. At the center (and the most successful in this powerplay) is Ruth, who, fleeing a life as a powerless wife and mother in America, asserts her independence and dominance over the others with her sexuality (which she offers and withholds to suit her purposes and control the others). Her every movement, gesture and glance is cold-bloodedly calculated to manipulate the others and ensure her position at the top of the pyramid at all times.

More so than any of her colleagues, Best nails her character and presents all of her self-possessed, venal, hedonistic wants and desires in a completely unemotional, business-like, matter-of-fact manner. It's a true "Pinteresque" performance in the best sense of the term -- more so than any of her other cast members (though a couple of others are close).

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Updated On: 12/29/07 at 10:53 AM

Ruth, who, fleeing a life as a powerless wife and mother in America, asserts her independence and dominance over the others with her sexuality (which she offers and withholds to suit her purposes and control the others). Her every movement, gesture and glance is cold-bloodedly calculated to manipulate the others and ensure her position at the top of the pyramid at all times.

More so than any of her colleagues, Best nails her character and presents all of her self-possessed, venal, hedonistic wants and desires in a completely unemotional, business-like, matter-of-fact manner.

While I can totally see this based on the text of the play (and was even looking for it in Best's performance), I honestly didn't see it played out to the extent that I thought I would. Either Eve's Ruth is so cunning that she fooled me as an audience member, or she just seemed a little too detached and....unwell...to truly convey the cunning of the character. I understand that it suits her purposes to let the men think that she's submissive and thus underestimate her, but even with that in mind, something seemed off about her. Something in her manner lacked the self-possession of the woman described here. I saw it in the climax of the play, but the overall performance seemed to me a bit schizophrenic. I thought that Ruth was intriguing, but in the end I honestly found myself buying into Teddy's excuse that his wife wasn't well.

Updated On: 12/29/07 at 11:14 PM

I totally agree about Raul- I thought the accent was horribly all over the place. I thought McShane was the best of the cast.

I was watching NY1 last night, and could not believe how Roma Torre was gushing over Raul's performance.

I thought the only other slightky shaky accent was Michael McKean. But he slipped from British to American Englsish sometimes. Raul kept slipping from British to Cockney to Irish to who knows what. It was like a tour of Great Britain. Not good. Also though, while I am glad he didn't just copy the movie, there is a lot more he could have done with the role than just taking a gaggy approach. The whole time I thought I was watching a gag. I do appreciate him taking risks, I just don't think this one worked out.

i'd like to voice my opinion on this show that i've never seen as well. raul is evil. pure and simple. poison. eve rules and i'd live between her boobs. to sum up, based on my not having seen the show, i think raul ruined it for everyone and should be spanked on live television as punishment.

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I enjoyed the play. As far as Raul, I had a bit of a problem wuth his delivery of lines. He seemed to be rushed. And most times he spoke, Taboo ran through my head.

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<< enjoyed the play. As far as Raul, I had a bit of a problem wuth his delivery of lines. He seemed to be rushed. And most times he spoke, Taboo ran through my head. >>

So funny that you mentioned that !! As soon as he started speaking, I thought he was going to do "Petrified" !!

Best is the best thing about this revival. Her physical performance is just about the most sensual thing I've ever seen (also most commanding).

Will it be considered a featured role for awards or leading?

sorry for those 3 posts! My computer was doing weird things while I was trying to edit my post!

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Eve is my favorite part of this show; she is amazing!