Eve Best in The Homecoming

[Sauja]

Posted: 12/28/07 at 10:44pm

I've been sort of lurking around here making the occasional post, but after spending the 24 hours since last night's performance of The Homecoming going back and forth over it, reading critical analysis of the play (which I had never seen or read), and reading through all of the reviews, I find that the one blazing question mark still left in my mind is Eve Best's performance.

This isn't a pan at all--I really don't have critical feedback as I'm still trying to piece it together. From up in the cheap seats, I found her baffling. Her pauses seemed extremely mannered. Her line delivery felt curiously awkward. With all of the raves for her, I find myself wondering about a few things. First (and this is the easiest explanation, so I'm inclined to disbelieve it), does anyone have a sense of whether she is registering very differently for viewers in the balcony and those up closer? Alternately (and more likely, though I haven't convinced myself yet), is there something intentional about her stiffness and tightly mannered performance? If so, I'd love to hear (genuinely) what that is. Because, though there are obviously a lot of unanswered questions in the play, Ruth's motivations were the most opaque to me. And a final possibility--did the performance just go completely over my head?

I feel slightly awkward asking. I don't think of myself as an amateur theater-goer by any means, but I just have to put it out there because I feel very much in the dark.

Also, in case anyone enjoys these kinds of stories, in the scene early in Act I when Lenny lights a cigarette shortly before Ruth comes in the door, the performance was paused for a medical emergency (everyone's alright). The house lights came up, and Raul dropped character completely, plopping down on the couch and asking, "Any questions yet? Oh wait a minute...what happened to my accent?" With good grace, he kept the audience comfortable and also asked about the audience member's health. The houselights dropped as he asked, "Now, where was I?" Over the PA, a voice reminded, "You just lit your cigarette." Glancing to and fro, Raul asked, "Mom?" before effortlessly dropping back into the action of the play. A charming moment from a total pro.

[PhillyGuy12]

Posted: 12/28/07 at 11:56pm

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.

[jmh7940]

Posted: 12/29/07 at 1:48am

Same here. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 12/29/07 at 10:53am

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).

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

[misschung]

Posted: 12/29/07 at 11:13am

At the center 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.

Absolutely. I'm also still struggling to understand Ruth's motives more fully. It's pretty clear that all these characters want to be the alpha -- and it's Ruth who finally achieves that status at the end of the play, with minimal closure. I don't doubt that this was an intentional move by Pinter, in order to sort of giantize the absurdity of such an achievement. Sort of like, "yes, she made it, she's on top, but now what? And more importantly, so what?" It's at quite a cost. And although Ruth is able to dominate this band of men, I think that we get glimpses into her pain throughout the play - different glances that she throws that might be mistaken as seemingly aloof are tinged with pain. I feel like part of her wants to be manipulated and dominated.

Updated On: 12/30/07 at 11:13 AM

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 12/29/07 at 11:14pm

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

[bjh2114]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 1:35am

Just got back from tonight's performance of The Homecoming. For me, Eve was by far the best thing about the show. She nailed every moment. She truly understands how Pinter wanted that character developed. On the other hand, I thought Raul was terrible. His accent was all over the place, and his smirky comedic approach to many of his lines really took away from some of the power that can be given to Lenny with pauses and glares. McShane was ok, as was McKean. Honestly, I thought Eve and James Frain were the best, and Gareth Saxe was fairly good too. Raul was definitely the weak link for me.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 9:32am

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.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 12:04pm

I saw the HOMECOMING movie in which Ian Holm played Lenny. He played it very cold and menacing, and it was a valid approach. And it would be very easy to just reproduce that in this production. I admire Raul for taking some chances with the role - there is a lot of black comedy in this play and Raul's Lenny emphasizes that. But I don't think he makes Lenny sympathetic - just cocky and funny and completely unable to feel anything but self satisfied. I think all of the accents of the non-English actors were shaky.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 12:20pm

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.

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 2:30pm

I'd like to make an observation about Raúl's wandering accent, with the caveat that I have not seen the show. I can only judge by what other people have said, so I may be way off base here, but here's my observation:

Lenny may be just a pimp, but I think he fancies himself far more than that. I think he considers himself to be quite the prosperous businessman, who would be considered socially above the class the rest of his family is in.

In England class is strongly defined by accent. Perhaps Raúl's Lenny is deliberately speaking with an upper class accent as an example of how he's better than the rest of the family, except for the times when he forgets (for whatever emotionally charged reason) and slips back into the lower class accent of his upbringing. Hence the multiple accents.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 2:37pm

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.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 2:45pm

I very much 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.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 2:45pm

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.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 2:45pm

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.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 2:54pm

<< 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" !!

[singingbackup]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 2:55pm

I too did not 'get' what Eve was doing, and since Pinter 101 was an elective and my class schedule was full, I haven't a clue as to her "Pinteresque"-ness and thus was put off by her performance.

[jewishboy]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 2:55pm

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?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 3:07pm

The entire cast is billed above the title in the playbill, so technically they're all Lead, but I'm sure the producers will petition the Tony Administratine Committee to have some of them considered Featured.

Vivien Merchant who created the role of Ruth in the original production 40 years ago was nominated as Lead Actress.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 3:20pm

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

[keen on kean]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 3:51pm

I love Eve Best in this production. I would characterize her performance as sensual and neurotic. Vivien Merchant's was more earth mother with a vengeance, very mythic and controlling.

[antiandrewx]

Posted: 12/30/07 at 3:56pm

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