Having finally finished my auditions yesterday morning with my Yale appointment, it was time for an evening on the town, and of course, to me, that meant going to the theatre. David, my travel buddy, and I decided that we should go see the show the Chicago is raving about, Eugene O'Neill's Desire Under the Elms at the Goodman Theatre.
I had previously been unfamiliar with this play, and so I approached it with a blank slate leaving this production to give me my first impressions of the piece. I must say, I was very affected by it. Being classically O'Neill, Desire Under the Elms is incredibly dark. It seems to harken toward Greek tragedy with hints of Oedipus Rex and Medea. There were climactic moments during the play that I may never forget.
Several members of the cast are certainly seasoned actors who did a lovely job with this piece. Carla Gugino played Abbie Putnam. I enjoyed her performance, and I thought she worked well with Pablo Schreiber who played Eben. I particulary enjoyed Brian Dennehy's performance as Ephraim Cabot. While his character was strong and hard like the rocks he'd built his farm on, he seemed to let slip little indications of weariness and age, and in some cases even a little compassion.
This dark story in combination with a gorgeous but hellish set where mountains of ominous boulders tower high above the audience and hang suspended in the air, left us with a hard and heavy feeling. If you're in Chicago before the 22nd, check it out!
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