Margaret BauerI am, by nature, not a paranoid person. Practical, yes. Safety-minded, perhaps. But paranoid? No. But I must confess, I always find myself suspicious of books turned into films or plays. And when it comes to my favorite books, this suspicion turns into downright paranoia.
But when it came to drama professor Henry I. Schvey’s new adaptation of Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening” (my all-time favorite 19th century feminist novella), my paranoia turned out to be nothing more than a case of the goose bumps. Shockingly, Schvey was able to crystallize Chopin’s tightly woven work into a densely symbolic, impressionistic portrait of a woman struggling against society. Meanwhile, senior artist in residence Annamaria Pileggi’s direction pulls this script together with a series of understated performances and design that swell toward a dramatic conclusion, pushing the envelope while never being tacky or sensational. Together, this production can easily be termed, as one audience member said afterwards, “the ballsiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
While the overall effect is remarkable, the individual performances are entirely noteworthy. Junior Cory Coleman, as Edna Pontellier, is unbelievable. She’s able to evoke the complex undercurrents of the text in her every movement. There are entire segments where she doesn’t even speak, only gazing out in front of her-and her facial expressions are able to account for dozens of pages of Chopin’s description. And the closing scene, which so easily could be cheesy or sensational, is pure and strong as she plays it with grace and poise.
The relationships between the characters also reflect the understated symbolism. Rob Klemisch, as Robert Lebrun, is playful but never silly, ably demonstrating his tension with Edna from the very first scene. Laura Harrison, as Adele Ratignolle, is matronly and warm, epitomizing the warm Creole woman of Chopin’s story. Lindsay Brill, as Mademoiselle Reisz, really pulls off her difficult role-delightful, at times dark, always eccentric, though never over-the-top. The only mar on this cast is Justin Rincker’s miscasting as Leonce Pontellier. He as Leonce is hardly the man that Adele remarks that Edna is lucky to have; instead he is simply whiny, effeminate and overbearing. Rincker certainly tries hard, but he just doesn’t fit the role.
Still, “The Awakening” is a triumph of a tremendous set of talents. The production is flawless, from the delicately designed set to the perfectly fitted music. And the acting as a whole is inspired. Do yourself a favor-make the walk over to the Missouri Historical Museum this weekend to catch this play. Even paranoid bookworms like me will be glad they made the trip.