THEATRE REVIEW:
KPBS
AIRDATE: March 12, 2004
In this age of
extravagance and overkill, minimalism can be a blessing. In opera, opulence is
usually the operative word. But in the hands of internationally acclaimed
director/designer Robert Wilson, less is often more. And theater aficionados
know that the plays of Harold Pinter are typically small, airless, nearly
claustrophobic affairs. So this week onstage, unbridled is out, unfussy is in.
6th
@ Penn Theatre has perfectly paired two short Pinter plays: the enigmatic, 1996
"Ashes to Ashes" and an early 1963 creation, "The Lover."
Both deal with tenuous, troubled marriages. Taken together, with their
Pinteresque pauses, menace and hidden meanings, the plays show how an intricate
web of betrayals and denials can reduce an insular world to an ashen lie. The
less opaque of the two, "The Lover," concerns the dangerous games
some couples play in terms of fantasy and infidelity. "Ashes to
Ashes" is a more brutal and chilling piece that alludes to Holocaust-type
atrocities in its stark depiction of marital non-communication. Ron Choularton
and Cristina Soria are splendid. Under the deft, terrifically-timed direction
of Robert May, these two stellar actors capture the unspoken nuances, cool,
civil detachment and seething sexuality that underlie both plays. This is
haunting theater of the very best kind… unadorned and unsettling.
And that's what
Robert Wilson does with "Madama Butterfly," one of the most popular
and familiar of operas. Puccini's opus is often lavishly designed and costumed,
but at the L.A. Opera, Wilson presents a bare, monochromatic space, with just
winding wooden walkways and a Japanese bridge in the distance. The provocative
costumes -- long, austere, angular suggestions of kimonos or Western suits --
are black, white or gray. Color appears only in projections on the white
backdrop: subtle tonal shifts that reflect or counteract the onstage action and
emotion.
Wilson's
signature stylized movements are here abstracted even further to resemble noh
or Kabuki theater; characters seem to float on air, striking ritualized poses.
The slowness of the action pulls the focus onto the music and the passion of
the story, which seems always to strike familiar notes: the American striding
in, taking charge, and then leaving the foreigners bereft. There are three
alternating Cio-Cio Sans; the superb-voiced Xiu Wei Sun is a worldwide veteran
of the role, and her delicate movement and facial expression are
heart-breaking. Her supple soprano is rich with emotion and range. As
Pinkerton, tenor Valter Borin seems less comfortable in Wilson's style; he has
a commanding presence, but his moves are less precise and his voice less
powerful. Under the baton of Kent Nagano, the orchestra performed with rich
lyrical grace.
If you like
pomp and ceremony, or straightforward explication, these aren't the productions
for you. But they're right up your alley if you're intrigued by a certain level
of inspired ambiguity. Artists, like life, don't always have all the answers.
I'm Pat Launer,
for KPBS news.
©2004 Patté Productions Inc.