Center
Stage with
THEATRE REVIEW:
“Rabbit Hole” – North Coast Repertory
Theatre
AIRDATE:
APRIL 10, 2009
It all started as an
academic challenge. ‘Write about the thing that frightens you most.’ Years
later, long after he had graduated from Juilliard, playwright David Lindsay-Abaire was the father of a three year-old, and he wrote about
the most terrifying thing he could think of: the loss of a child.
In “Rabbit Hole,” when
four year-old Danny ran into the street to chase after his dog, he was hit by a
car driven by a high school senior. Eight months later, the family is still
adrift, lost in some parallel universe, trying to figure or find their way out.
Frequently punctuated by humor, the 2007 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama is a
study of grief, of family, of moving on. It’s a quiet play. Most of what’s
really being thought is unspoken, so the conversation is something of a veneer,
and the silences run very deep. The unease is palpable. And the turning point
comes at a moment of supreme awkwardness and pain, when the brokenhearted
mother is visited by the emotionally stricken teen, who’s
also drifting, also lugging around a profound sense of guilt. It’s only through
the discomfort of the confrontation that we have a glimmer of hope for this
damaged family.
It’s a beautifully
nuanced play, graceful, subtle and restrained, revealing layer upon layer of
grief, family relationship and mis-communication. The
most seemingly innocent comment, anecdote or wisecrack is potentially
incendiary, a touchstone for anger, upset or resentment. Anyone who’s
experienced the death of a loved one will feel some stab of recognition,
because the writing is so piercing and authentic, the range of reactions so
real.
Becca
wants to pack up every trace of her son, move out of the house and wipe away
all physical memories. Her husband Howie, on the
other hand, sneaks downstairs every night and compulsively watches the videos
of Danny at play. Becca’s scattered and
scatterbrained sister Izzy shakes things up with her
wild escapades and her unexpected pregnancy. Their overbearing mother keeps
being reminded of the loss of her own son, eleven years ago. But Becca will brook no comparison or competition.
The piece requires a
delicate touch, a sturdy ensemble, a fine sense of comedy and a deft ability to
fill those fraught silences. At North Coast Repertory Theatre, director Stephen
Elton has scored on all counts. Although every character is saddled with
self-absorption and isolation, there’s a generosity of spirit on that stage; no
scene-stealers or scenery chewers. Each of the excellent actors creates a
credible and sympathetic character. And as we take this journey along with this
fractured family, we find a coming together at the end, an understated sense of
promise. It’s not all neatly tied up, but it’s not grim and hopeless, either. We walk out touched by the experience, and sometimes
that’s catharsis enough.
“Rabbit Hole” runs through April 26 at
North Coast Repertory Theatre in
©2009 PAT LAUNER