Theater in NYC: The Dance of Death by August Strindberg at Classic Stage Company
August Strindberg’s 19th-century drama The Dance of Death opens in repertory at the Classic Stage Company from February 10, 2019 through March 10, 2019
A discerning examination of a married couple’s bond is observed by August Strindberg in The Dance of Death, which is staged by Classic Stage Company. Strindberg’s play, adapted for this new version by Conor McPherson and directed by Victoria Clark, was written in 1900 when the playwright himself was in the midst of a divorce. The elements of Strindberg’s personal life, the ills of Sweden’s society at the turn of the previous century, the ever-present concerns about complacency, competing intentions, and ubiquitous soul-searching are all interwoven into the story.
Stuck on a remote island at the coastal artillery outpost, the couple’s relationships grew from slight annoyance with each other to open contempt. Haunted by the aversion to their associates and the disdain of their superiors, Edgar, authentically played by Richard Topol, and his wife Alice, accurately portrayed by Cassie Beck, isolate themselves to the company of each other with no discernible way out of the tense situation. The arrival of their old friend and relative Kurt, played with ease by Christopher Innvar, promises a chance of revival and change. Yet, in Strindberg’s keen depiction of reality, the dark forces dominate and the jabs only get more potent furling the couple closer together in their unhappy dance to the end. Get tickets at 56% off with TodayTIX
August Strindberg, a Swedish playwright, novelist, and painter, created his play “The Dance of Death” in the later period of his career when he was already an established name in Scandinavian and European literary circles. Drawing the subjects and their stories from his personal experience, this play’s portrayal of life touches on the unease between nobility and people from the modest background, the existential question of financial strain, women’s dependency and inferiority in the eyes of their spouses, and misunderstandings between generations. Some of the questions are given more consideration, others are alluded to briefly giving an opening for the actors to add colors and significance to them.
Skillfully moving with the script of subtle prods and obvious contempt, the three-actor cast puts all the right accents on their roles The play covers a rather short period of time abetted by Alice’s dress changes, however the dialogues recreate a whole life story from the first meeting, the early years of high hopes all the way to the bitter disappointments as time has passed by. A realization that the action actually takes place more than a century ago only reaffirms the constancy of the human life drama. The existential questions of decency, subversion, and dominance are still the same no matter when whether its time of telegraph communications or nowdays’ mobile phone texting. People and their problems stay the same while technology evolves. Which makes the play as modern as the theatrical performance can be.
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Edgar, a non-confrontationalist, idealist, and loyalist, genuinely acted by Richard Topol, doesn’t elicit much sympathy. His wife Alice is manipulative and equally smart in Cassie Beck’s measured performance sizzled with sneakiness and dissatisfaction. No wonder the servants don’t stay for long, and the neighbors don’t talk to her. The all too polite Kurt while polished and courteous has a lot of holes in his past and present. Christopher Innvar’s acting well counteracts the antics and superficial simplicity of Topol’s Edgar. Kurt’s arrival to the outpost in search of peace and serenity is met by the bitterness and hatred between Edgar and Alice. The vile mood immediately sucks Kurt in making him an equal partner in crime. But years of life together put its weight on the situation leading back to a point of stasis for Edgar and Alice in their inability to break the ties and stop their dependency on each other.
Winner of multiple awards such an Obie and Drama Desk among others, the Classic Stage Company is dedicated to re-imagining classical theater repertoire for contemporary audiences. It is known as a preeminent off-Broadway theater staging world classical plays that speak directly about today’s issues. Timeless questions of family dynamics, class and gender relationships, a psychology of intention, desire, and manipulation all get a close look in the works presented by the company.
If you are craving for a serious psychological drama see The Dance of Death, theatrical experience in its ultimate sense. The play’s run time is 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission. Get tickets at 56% off with TodayTIX
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Date: February 10 – March 10, 2019