first night review: Who's afraid of virginia woolf? @ big COuch

A room of one's own: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, playing at Big Couch

 
First Night Review: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? @ Big Couch
Review by Todd Perley

​Edward Albee’s notorious play landed in the early 1960s and was groundbreaking—and controversial— for its graphic autopsy of a nihilistic marriage. The idealistic ghost of the 1950s was finally put to rest when our less-than-ideal couple’s dirty laundry was displayed on stage, and this was beyond shocking for the era.

Though certainly a play of its time, it remains timeless. Just as the play caused a stir in 1962, Mike Nichols’ film version starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton was controversial in its own way. Shot in 1966, two years before the official demise of the tiresome Hays Code, there was nothing this raw and edgy in American cinema. It’s helpful to remember the historical and cultural significance when seeing this play through jaded 21st century eyes.

Drowning George (Casey Groves) and Battleaxe Martha (Fire Weeds’ co-artistic director Lin Gathright) stumble home at 2:00am from a faculty party, and are soon joined by young newcomers to the college, Nick (Logan Macrae) and Honey (director Jaclyn Bethany). Thus begins three marvelous, unforgettable hours of liquor-ridden psychological warfare between our merry coterie.

The play is just as funny and witty as it is eviscerating. All four Fire Weeds’ actors hold their own throughout the tricky material. In particular, Gathright manages to coax out the subtle, fragile pathos of braying, brazen, brutal Martha beyond even Elizabeth Taylor’s Oscar-winning film performance. I’ve never had so much sympathy for Martha as in this production. And I thought I knew Martha so well!

The setting is crucial. Bywater’s theatre “Big Couch” seats a mere thirty-five people, and the intimacy of this theater-in-the-round literally puts you in George and Martha’s living room amidst the mayhem. Seated four feet away from a raving Martha is a frightening experience, and you can’t help feeling a part of the party. When George suggests a venomous game of Get The Guests, I reverted back to fourth grade, hoping the teacher wouldn’t call on me to participate.

The tiny space also allows the performers, in less tumultuous scenes, to get as small and quiet as they please. Even whispering can be heard clearly. A larger venue would prohibit these quieter moments. Only Big Couch could provide this rare environment that serves the material so well.

Whether you love the play and know it backwards as I do, or you’re a virgin, Fire Weeds and Big Couch offer a unique way to experience Albee’s masterpiece. I would call this a must see, but get your tickets soon. Those thirty-five seats are gonna fill up quickly.

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” plays at Big Couch with an newly-extended run, through January 19 - click here for information and ticketing
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