What Happened?: The Michaels Abroad

B-

Have you ever been to a party where you don't know anyone but the host, where the other guests are talking about people you don't know and topics that don't resonate for you? That's how I felt watching Richard Nelson’s 12th and final installment of his Rhinebeck Panorama at Hunter College. It received almost universal praise from the critics, some of whom thought it was the best of the series. I wish I could agree. Perhaps 18 months away from the theater has dulled my critical faculties. Maybe I am entering curmudgeonhood. In any case I found the once fresh idea of watching the actors move the kitchen furniture, lay the rugs and set the table had become a bit stale. The chairs were an odd assortment, as usual, and the sink and stove were in their proper places. The main difference was that this kitchen was not in Rhinebeck, but in Angers, France. All seven characters are gathered for a tribute to Rose Michael, the illustrious modern dancer to whom each is related, either as widow (Maryann Plunkett), ex-husband (Jay O. Sanders), daughter (Charlotte Bydwell), niece (Matilda Sakamoto), former colleagues (Haviland Morris and Rita Wolf) or admirer (Yvonne Woods). Most of the play is spent mourning her recent death. She was dying of ovarian cancer, but COVID finished the job. The highlight of her tribute is to be a performance of some of her works by her daughter and niece. Luckily for us, they preview their performance for those assembled. The dances (by the late, great dancer/choreographer Dan Wagoner) are charming and well-performed. Their performance was, for me, the high point of the afternoon. The other good news is that the cozy Hunter theater with only two rows of seats on all four sides is perfect for Nelson's intimate plays. Unllke at the Public Theater, hearing is not a problem. Since it closes today, I won’t take up more of your time, except to say that I thought that even Nelson stalwarts Plunkett and Sanders did not inhabit their characters as thoroughly as usual. Maybe the play would have been more impactful if it had been performed sooner after the first Michaels play. I am sorry that I did not find it more rewarding. Running time: one hour 50 minutes without intermission.

Uncle Vanya (Hunter Theater Project)

B-

Under the leadership of Theater Department Chair Gregory Mosher, Hunter College has initiated a program of producing bare-bones theatrical productions at an affordable price ($37) in their intimate Frederic Loewe Theater. Launching the project is this version of a Chekhov masterpiece directed by Richard Nelson, who also collaborated on the translation with today’s go-to Russian literature translators Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. On the basis of his Apple Family Plays and the Gabriel trilogy, some have dubbed Nelson the American Chekhov, so it is fascinating to see what happens when he gives the Russian master his “let’s sit around the kitchen table and talk” approach. For me, the results are a bit disappointing; there is too much Nelson and too little Chekhov. Nelson’s approach restricts the play’s emotional range and drains some of its humor and pathos. Some of Chekhov’s words, such as Sonya’s concluding speech, just do not lend themselves to a conversational approach. The level of the acting is quite uneven. Nelson stalwarts Jay O. Sanders as Vanya and Jon DeVries as Alexander Serebryakov make powerful impressions. Yvonne Woods is strong as Sonya. Celeste Arias fares reasonably well in the enigmatic role of the old professor’s young wife Elena. In the minor roles of Sonya’s former nanny Marina, Kate Kearney-Patch is adequate. As grandmother Marya, Alice Cannon barely registers. The unfortunate casting of the key role of Dr. Astrov is the weakest element of the production. Although Jesse Pennington certainly looks the part, he barely whispers many of his lines and shows so little affect that he almost seems in a trance. During a few monologues, actors directly address audience members, which I think works rather well. John Ardizzone-West's scenic design consists mostly of three kitchen tables, several mismatched chairs and some dinnerware. Mark Koss's costumes do not look very Russian. I had forgotten that the play includes a strong ecological message that is even more relevant today. Fortunately Chekhov’s genius is resilient and comes through this adaptation mostly intact. While far from an unalloyed success, the evening is an interesting experiment worth experiencing and a promising start for the Hunter Theater Project. Running time: one hour 45 minutes; no intermission.