Henrik Ibsen’s play from 1896 has been newly translated by Frank McGuinness for Ireland's Abbey Theatre now in residence at BAM’s Harvey Theater. The production stars the always interesting Alan Rickman as Borkman and the fierce Fiona Shaw as his wife Gunhild, which is a pretty good start for a good production. Lindsay Duncan plays the third key role, Miss Ella Rentheim and she is equal to the task of bringing life to this century old play. The production, directed by James Macdonald, has a leisurely paced first act, which could have used a shot of energy and a stronger pace. Then came the second act, which was very lively indeed and contained ferocious scenes from the actors as well as the theatrically created snow storm in which half of it took place. Tom Pye’s set would be a bare stage with just the essential furniture pieces, save for the small mounds of snow surrounding the playing area. On stage it looked a lot like it did outside on the street. One of Gunhild’s early lines is “I am often cold” and this was immediately linked to her environment as well as her personality.
The story surrounds Borkman, who has suffered disgrace from a term in prison for embezzlement, and his wife Gunhild, who is dreaming up how to re-enter society. Both hold their grown son, Erhart (Marty Rae), as the way to restore the family name. Gunhild’s sister, Ella, arrives on the scene with only months to live and wants to find out from Borkman why he gave up true love with her to settle instead for an unhappy marriage to Gunhild. She half raised Erhart and so she would like him to live with her in her final days and take her name so that she will not be the last of her line. Erhart has other ideas and decides that while he is young he is only going to live for happiness and elopes with a divorcée (Cathy Belton)––ruining his family’s hope for social salvation. All through this little story-line there is quite a bit of humor, but by the final scene things become pretty dismal for all.
This was a worthwhile production, but it is only too bad that the first act did not match the variety and electricity of the second.
The BAM Harvey Theatre is a fascinating space with entirely uncomfortable seats. It is formerly the Brooklyn Majestic Theatre built in 1906 as a legitimate theatre for plays and musicals. For the first twenty years of its life it was used as an “out of town” tryout house (funny that Brooklyn was ever considered to be “out of town”) and then conversely housed Broadway productions that couldn’t be held over and needed a new home. The theater turned over its program to Vaudeville (one of the houses on the “subway circuit” as it was known in days of yore) and then to movies. In the later years of the 1970s the Majestic was reduced to showing triple X movies and then closed until BAM rescued it. The interior was “restored,” leaving its abandoned theatre character in place. The old Orchestra level was raised to blend into what was the mezzanine level, which is why you walk upstairs to get to the orchestra level now. The current balcony (and old third level) still utilizes the old segregated (and steep) staircase, formerly used for “colored people only.” Uncomfortable though it is, this is a very nice use of an aging theater once on the brink of being demolished.
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