A.R.T. Presents a Striking Interpretation of The Seagull

"A young girl lives all her life beside a lake...like a seagull, happy and free. A man comes along by chance...and because he has nothing better to do, destroys her...subject for a short story."

Or a play.

The Seagull sparkles with all the intensity of which a good production of this Chekhov classic is capable. The American Repertory Theatre's (A.R.T.) most recent production skillfully blends stellar acting and stunning stages design. Although a few of the leads struggle to overcome potential one-note roles, the overall quality of the cast is a reminder of what companies like the A.R.T. can do best.

The play revolves around the tribulations of Konstantin Treplev (Mark Rylance), son of the notorious actress Arkadina (Christine Estabrook). At the beginning of The Seagull, Konstantin's experimental play meets with laughs; he spends most of the first act alienating its star, his beloved Nina (Stephanie Roth). Nina proceeds to fall in love with Arkadina's lover, Trigorin (Mark Metcalf), a noted writer of whom Konstantin is bitterly jealous.

Several scenes in Chekhov's drama echo Hamlet. Director Ron Daniels chose to high light this connection by casting the same four leads in the roles parallel to those in the A.R.T.'s production of Hamlet earlier this year.

While highly touted in the play's programs notes, this strategy is essentially pointless: the incestuous jealousy that Konstantin feels toward Trigorin would be apparent without it; Nina shows more character than Ophelia ever did; and the analogy completely falls apart when it comes to Trigorin and his relationship with Nina.

Rylance does play Konstantin with enough moodiness for several Hamlets but, unfortunate for an otherwise well-acted production, neither he nor Estabrook are able to rise above shallow interpretations of their pivotal roles.

While Arkadina is supposed to be narcissistic and constantly self-dramatizing, Estabrook seems to have abandoned any inner life the character might have. A shell composed of gestures and laughter, Chekhov's Arkadina does have some moments of genuine anguish, most notably when she begs Trigorin to stay.

That the audience is able to view this scene with almost complete detachment proves how astray Estabrook's interpretation has gone. When the part requires it, she is magnificently flamboyant, but the director seems to have paid less attention to Arkadina's dramatic moments.

Similarly, Rylance's Konstantin shows almost no progress between the first and second acts (Act IV in the original version). Two years later, Konstantin has become a famous author, Nina has abandoned him for Trigorin and then in turn been abandoned herself. Yet Rylance plays the part as morosely in the second act as in the first. Konstantin has not changed as much as Nina, but a more subtle portrayal would make the audience more sympathetic to the depressed young author.

Roth and Metcalf have easier roles to play and they perform them well. Roth's Nina shimmers with effervescence; it is easy to understand Trigorin's attraction. Metcalf plays Trigorin with Jimmy Stewart lankiness, making the role of the famous writer more self-effacing than usual. Trigorin traditionally comes across as pompous rather than disillusioned, as he is here; while an unusual choice, it is not necessarily a bad one.

Erin McMurtry as Masha steals the show almost every time she is on stage. Masha, the daughter of the estate manager, is almost as depressed as Konstantin. While lamenting ("I am in mourning for my life"), she is fundamentally more level-headed; McMurtry makes the character more real than many in The Seagull.

Among the other actors, Jeremy Geidt stands out as Sorin, Arkadina's brother. Geidt's substantial stage presence gives Sorin more weight than the character usually possesses. Geidt provides some of the funniest moments in the play.

The scenic design of The Seagull is blessedly free of pretension. Set designer Antony McDonald places the first act in a series of wide open spaces, both exterior and interior. This sense of liberty resonates in a scene in which the half-naked Estabrook cavorts in shallow water.

The stage shrinks in the second act to a small black box of a room, condensing the characters and their emotions. While an obvious statement, this artifice is simple enough not to detract from the more complicated subtleties of the dialogue.

The same can be said of Catherine Zuber's costume design. There is blatant symbolism at work: in one scene Arkadina is dressed in red, innocent Nina in white and morbid Masha in black. Although hardly a surprise when Nina turns up in the second act dressed in red, one's concentration is only momentarily diverted.

Despite some under-direction of the leads, Daniels' production of The Seagull is worth seeing. The staging is cleanly done; the prevailing quality of the acting is strong. It is refreshing to see the A.R.T. give a classic the treatment it deserves.