With all the trappings of a Southern gothic – eccentric characters, grotesque situations, and (off-stage) violence – Suddenly Last Summer blazes the stage with vivid imagery and poetic cruelty. The one-act melodrama might not be top drawer Tennessee Williams but it’s worth a trip to New Orleans via the Gunston Arts Center to visit with the Venable clan and their high drama.
Savvy film buffs or fans of Tennessee Williams might know Suddenly Last Summer from the 1959 film version starring Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift. But the piece began as a single act stage play that opened in New York in 1958. At that time it was coupled with Something Unspoken, also by Williams. Avant Bard is presenting a Williams double-bill but their choice for a curtain-raiser is the short and poetic two-person play Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen. Both plays are directed by Avant Bard’s former artistic director Christopher Henley.
First a bit about the appetizer, then on to the main course.
Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen is highlighted by the lyricism Williams is known for: heightened language by troubled characters. A lone figure slinks into a modest, New York apartment; she is simply identified as Woman. She warbles plaintively the old standard “Lover Come Back to Me” and “Good Morning Heartache,” among other bluesy ballads. This appears to be an interpolation by the director but it is an effective one, especially as performed by Miss Kitty as Woman. Moving her voice from desperate whisper to primal scream, there is a sense of longing communicated by Kitty’s a cappella vocals.
After a few brief musical interludes, Woman is discovered once again in the messy room in the company of a man, played by Erik Harrison. Whereas Woman is lean, lithe and appears to have fallen on hard times, Man sports a dad-body and barely wakes up from a drinking binge. The two are clearly connected but more as symbiotic helpmates than passionate lovers. Harrison embodies a sad sack alcoholic while Miss Kitty shines as one who ruminates on an escape into an idyllic existence, possibly as her life slips away.
The short curtain-raiser is more of a curiosity than a classic. But Williams was still able to imbue the play with a poetic beauty even as he presents a couple wallowing in their lonely, spare existence.
A brief intermission allows the stage to be reset from a Manhattan cold water flat to an expansive hothouse in steamy New Orleans, sometime in the mid-1930s. In the picturesque city’s Garden District, we meet the filthy rich and formidable Mrs. Violet Venable, brought to life with infinite style and steely grace by Cam Magee. Magee, a longtime leading lady and supporting player for Avant Bard and many of DC’s stages, provides a magnificent performance as the force-of-nature matriarch mourning the loss of her beloved son, Sebastian, who died the previous summer. Dressed in a long, silky vest and crowned with a flaming red bob, Magee’s Violet is a vivid portrayal of a mother with a mission: protect the name and reputation of her late son no matter what the cost. She nails the southern charm as well as the iron will of the wealthy (and stealthy) matron.
To assist her mission which is slowly revealed scene by scene, Violet employees the brilliant, young experimental psychiatrist from Lion’s View, a local asylum. Dr. Cukrowicz tells Mrs. Venable his name means sugar, hence she introduces him to her extended family members as Dr. Sugar, which is ripe with irony since her ultimate plan is anything but sweet. The good doctor is played with effective understatement by Matt Sparacino. As Dr. Cukrowicz is drawn into the the mystery of Sebastian’s death and the plan to avenge him, watch carefully as Sparacino’s expressions and stance changes the closer he gets to the ultimate plan.
Suddenly Last Summer closes April 5, 2020. DCTS details and tickets
The object of Violet’s mission to save Sebastian’s reputation and quiet any scandal is her niece Catherine Holly, played with deep conviction and fervor by Sara Barker. Catherine, as Sebastian’s troubled cousin, was the last person to see him alive and knows what happened to him – a story Violet disagrees with vehemently. This is the conflict that works to an explosion of passion, deep-dark secrets and horrific imagery in the play’s climatic scene. Barker handles the volatile and mercurial role with skill, depicting an independent southern belle who is chased by dark demons and even darker memories of Sebastian’s last days on a sunny beach in Spain.
Magee, Sparacino and Barker are ably supported by the rest of the cast, each making their mark. Erik Harrison (Man in Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen) brings a grown-up, “no-neck monster” charm to his role as George, Catherine’s greedy brother. As Mrs. Holly, their mother, Megan Morgan makes a strong impression. As Catherine’s nurse from a private mental institution, Christine Hirrel is a steady presence as Sister Felicity. Rounding out the cast is Violet’s personal assistant, Miss Foxhill, memorably portrayed by Miss Kitty, also featured in the curtain-raiser. Standing ramrod straight and oozing both elegance and steel, Miss Kitty’s Foxhill becomes the still and quiet strength Mrs. Venable can lean on and rely on to protect her. Just watching Miss Kitty stand and watch the gothic story unfold was a lesson in stillness and silent acting.
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My hat’s off to Henley for assembling such a skilled cast of players who could bring their expansive talents to the stage to walk the fine line between realistic acting and histrionics, given the fantastic and ultimately grotesque tale Williams has spun in Suddenly Last Summer. Henley was aided by his costume designer Anna Marquardt, providing detailed period costumes. Scenic designer David Ghaton gave Henley and his actors the ability to play all angles of the four-sided seating arrangement with a simplified arena staging. Ian Claar’s evocative lighting lent a cinematic flair to the production, also punctuated effectively by the sound design of Clay Teunis, complete with bird sounds and little snatches of music for atmosphere.
If you have never encountered Violet and Sebastian Venable’s story, do not hesitate to catch this production.If you are a fan of the film version, it is well worth your time to see Avant Bard’s production, since this is pure Williams and the movie’s screenplay was famously changed by Gore Vidal. Suddenly Last Summer might not have the same curb appeal as The Glass Menagerie or A Streetcar Named Desire, but it has Williams’ trademark lyricism and grand characters (with a touch of off-stage grand guignol) to appeal to anyone who likes a juicy drama.
The Williams’ double bill marks the opening of Avant Bard’s ambitious Spring Repertory season, in celebration of their 30th Anniversary. Lauren Gunderson’s Ada and the Engine, directed by Megan Behm, opens March 8. The two productions alternate performances through April 5.
Suddenly Last Summer and Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen by Tennessee Williams . Directed by Christopher Henley. Featuring: Erik Harrison, Miss Kitty, Cam Magee, Matt Sparacino, Megan Morgan, Sara Baker, and Christine Hirrel . Scenic designer David C. Ghatan . Lighting designer Ian Claar . Costume designer Anna Marquardt . Sound designer Clay Teunis . Property designer Liz Long . Stage manager Katie Bucher . Produced by Avant Bard Theatre . Reviewed by Jeff Walker.
Note: Director Christopher Henley writes for DC Theatre Scene. That did not impact this review.
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