Virginia Cries Woolf
September 10, 2009 • By Ariel Bojeun,
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“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” is certainly not for the faint of heart, but for those who crave drama and a night of sincere emotion then it should not be missed.
The drama follows two deranged couples and their so-called “games” they play in the hopes of ultimately breaking down their partners and colleagues. Characters George (senior Jonathan Hudson) and Martha (senior Sarah Heisler) are stuck in an unsuccessful marriage. After a late night at Martha’s father’s, the president of the university where George teaches, the couple hardly welcomes in the new addition to the biology department, Nick (junior Glen North) and his wife Honey (senior Julie Jones). The characters scrape at the last shreds of dignity left in the room they scream and cry, kiss and dance as they participate in such acts as “hump the hostess.” Their relationships may seem extreme but they illustrate the underlying issues of the apparently seamless marriages in the 1960s.
Theater II, a small black box theater, provided an intimate and realistic setting for the connection the audience needed to truly enjoy such a show. A simple set of an ordinary living room allowed the observer to focus solely on the acting and intensity of the story line rather than intricate scenery.
The sense of actually sitting within the confines of the couple’s home was created by two doorways, each with its own lighting and effect, leading to other rooms of the house. Although lighting could have been provided by the present scaffolding, chandeliers and dim lamps were used to create a more enclosed feeling. Senior and student director, Meredith Young, explained, “there was such a sense of voyeurism in the play already that I wanted to bring the audience as close in as possible.”
A sign above the entrance to the theater warns that theshow is for only mature audiences, a warning, that was obvious as the plot thickened and the tempers rose. The control and skill as a whole from a small cast of only four performers was invaluable.
“In this kind of show we need a really tight cast,” explained senior Glen North, who played Nick.
Their dialogue bounced back and fourth, illustrating a time of secret scandals and superficial perfection. The conversation flowed freely with the use of archaic language as the script incorporated unfamiliar names and phrases.
But it was the individual characters and their relationships that sparked the show.
George is a 46-year-old slave to a broken marriage, controlled by his father-in-law. Above all else, the emotional dedication and intensity that radiated from Hudson’s acting sent chills through the audience. He drew spectators in and made them angry with him, drunken with frustration as he begged with and screamed at his wife and guests. Physically, Hudson portrayed George’s age and mood perfectly, taking in his character entirely.
Martha was surely the most frantic and extreme character in the show. Sarah Heisler portrayed Martha’s deteriorating emotional state clearly, though she did lack the complete commitment that George’s character took on. Her physical movement demonstrated the strangeness and desperation the character required, but it was slightly awkward to watch as there was much searching and constant movement. Surely her shining moment was in the closing scene as her character was presented in an entirely new light.
The visiting couple, Nick and Honey, also had a great deal of individual personality. Nick, slowly broken down by the constant nagging of George, transformed dramatically throughout the plot. Julie Jones’ total commitment to Honey’s flaky and nearly airy character was extremely well done, particularly in the progression of her drunken stupor.
The humor portrayed throughout the performance is slightly uncomfortable, as if the audience was innocently observing a stranger’s fight with their partner. But the interactions of the characters provide for an exciting and emotional rollercoaster.
Contact Ariel Bojeun at bojeunae@jmu.edu
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