Posted: 11/17/19 at 11:45pm
Caught this tonight on a last minute whim. Bless these Off-Broadway Sunday evening shows.
Kristine Nielsen is giving one helluva performance in Foote's Pulitzer Prize winning play. Nielsen has always had a magnetism about her, but in the role of a Texan, grieving housewife in the 1950's she has never been better. And I mean that sincerely.
The entire cast has a strong grip on what's required to make Foote's language and characters work best- utmost honesty and genuine care, even in roles that have such potential to fall into such stereotypes or plainness. Michael Wilson's steady hand has delicately guided the piece to a place where even the most nuanced glances create echos of grief, nostalgia, and depth. It's as though the production team came together and said, "the play will do it's thing. Let's not try to get in the way of it by reinventing the wheel." Jeff Cowie's scenic design is lush and gorgeous, while also remaining oftentimes bare and sad, consistently reminding us that the Kidder's have yet to commit to transitioning to this new chapter in their lives post-death of their son.
The audience understands very early, very blatantly the nature of the son's relationship to "the young man from Atlanta," and despite the consistent dodging around the subject, it isn't any less heartbreaking and almost dangerous when it is finally verbally revealed what has been lying under the surface the whole play. What I find the most brilliant about this piece is how perfectly Foote captures how unfathomable and incapable it is for these character to articulate what they're coming to terms with. Quinn, Neilsen, and the rest of the cast do this play due justice.
High, high recommendation from me.
, knows you can’t hurry this Southern storyteller’s rhythms."
