“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Center Theater Group
Feb. 6 through March 18
Few actresses receive 30 seconds of applause upon taking the stage. An even smaller number are applauded for opening a play by shouting “Jesus H. Christ!” Kathleen Turner is the stunning exception to the previous two rules.
Turner is reprising her Tony-nominated role of Martha in Edward Albee’s tragicomedy “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, which opened Feb. 6 at the Ahmanson Theatre.
Under the direction of Anthony Page, Turner and costar Bill Irwin, playing the role of George, portray perhaps the most dysfunctional married couple in New England.
The absurdist drama opens as George and Martha return home from his college’s faculty party. Unsatisfied by the evening’s cocktails, they make use of their home bar while waiting for the new biology professor, Nick, and his perky wife Honey to join their private afterparty.
From their first moments onstage, it is apparent that George and Martha have made a marriage out of arguing.
Though they live in a WASP-y world where the “work” of a housewife is limited to grocery shopping and cooking for her husband, George and Martha’s embittered relationship has descended into one of the first circles of purgatory. They fight over the dump they live in, the lack of ice in their drinks, and why George won’t kiss his wife when demanded.
Once Nick and Honey enter the action, the real games begin. No topic is taboo for Albee or his characters; George mentions that musical beds are a faculty sport, Martha confides to Honey about their young son, and Nick admits that he married Honey because a case of appendicitis was mistaken for pregnancy.
At first, it seems that Nick and Honey are the opposite of George and Martha. Their polished exteriors and sunny charm suggest that they can avoid the miserable lives of their elders. In fact, Albee is directing them toward the same future.
As the night wears on, the levels of despair in both couples become increasingly obvious. In Act III, “The Exorcism,” it appears that the audience is privy to the night where George and Martha finally crack. Why else would she verbally emasculate him and he, in turn, try to strangle her? Why would Martha attempt an affair with Nick while her husband is in the house if she were not confident in their separation?
While Martha and George are a searing example of why infidelity, undiagnosed psychological disorders and large amounts of alcohol can never mix, the heart of Albee’s work asks if there is such a thing as a non-abusive relationship. As the curtain closes, the audience is left to wonder if Martha and George will be able to reconcile or if perhaps this evening of marital torture is par for the course in their home.
The three-hour play itself is an absolute marathon for both the actors and the audience. The ensemble cast, rounded out by David Furr and Kathleen Early, is nothing short of superb. Few other nights of theater can be carried so splendidly by only four actors.
Turner and Irwin, a Tony Award-winner for this role, are captivating.
Turner’s nuances and authenticity allow her to take command of one of modern literature’s most demanding female characters. Watching her live is like experiencing great acting for the first time.
Unlike the shallow starlets of most movies, Turner is a real actress whose body and spirit truly become the character of Martha. Her trademark voice alone is enough to lure audience members into the story and her troubled character.
Irwin’s performance is one of evolution. As the evening progresses, his physical interpretation of George adapts to match his character’s growing sense of bitterness and entitlement. At the curtain call, Irwin looked like a different person. The George hunch was gone and the audience saw Irwin as himself for the first time.
What was outstanding about Turner and Irwin was their ability to allow the audience to see beyond their personalities into the character psyches of George and Martha.
As the show ended, an audience member said, “They’re at the top of their game.”
He was, without a doubt, entirely correct.