#1
Posted: 5/31/08 at 7:17pm
Okay, it's a non-play. But it's an Edward Albee non-play, and (let's hear my quote of the week) "even 2nd rate (Albee) is better than some of the crap we have now."
If you knew nothing about "Great American sculptor Louise Nevelson" before seeing OCCUPANT, you'll leave knowing just as much. Why? The real Nevelson apparently made up stories about her life, so "The Man," as Albee calls the journalist interviewing Nevelson's ghost, spends the entire show trying to dispel rumors and other erroneous information. Unfortunately, the motto of the show is "Interesting, if true..." and you never quite truly figure out what is true and what isn't.
Much of the play is interesting, if true. But only because of the spellbinding Mercedes Ruehl, who, like Christine Ebersole as Little Edie Beale, inhabits Nevelson so fully, down to the smallest detail, you forget you're watching an actor.
Larry Bryggman provides ample support as "The Man," a part which requires nothing except showing up for work. Their chemistry is unique, and Albee's back-and-forth has never sounded better.
But there's no play - no dramatic question, no problems to be solved...you're watching an interview. And, while I appreciate the style, it just didn't do much for me. The first act does move quite briskly, but the second is downright tedious, until the magical moment when Nevelson's life's work is revealed. If only the entire show were as magical.
It's worthwhile to see - if you can get a ticket or if you already have a ticket...you rarely see a "New" Albee, and Ruehl's performance is tremendous...but if you want substance, dust off your copy of "Virginia Woolf," pour a nice glass of vodka, and have a ball.
If you knew nothing about "Great American sculptor Louise Nevelson" before seeing OCCUPANT, you'll leave knowing just as much. Why? The real Nevelson apparently made up stories about her life, so "The Man," as Albee calls the journalist interviewing Nevelson's ghost, spends the entire show trying to dispel rumors and other erroneous information. Unfortunately, the motto of the show is "Interesting, if true..." and you never quite truly figure out what is true and what isn't.
Much of the play is interesting, if true. But only because of the spellbinding Mercedes Ruehl, who, like Christine Ebersole as Little Edie Beale, inhabits Nevelson so fully, down to the smallest detail, you forget you're watching an actor.
Larry Bryggman provides ample support as "The Man," a part which requires nothing except showing up for work. Their chemistry is unique, and Albee's back-and-forth has never sounded better.
But there's no play - no dramatic question, no problems to be solved...you're watching an interview. And, while I appreciate the style, it just didn't do much for me. The first act does move quite briskly, but the second is downright tedious, until the magical moment when Nevelson's life's work is revealed. If only the entire show were as magical.
It's worthwhile to see - if you can get a ticket or if you already have a ticket...you rarely see a "New" Albee, and Ruehl's performance is tremendous...but if you want substance, dust off your copy of "Virginia Woolf," pour a nice glass of vodka, and have a ball.
