If Arthur Miller hadn’t beaten us to it, we might have dubbed this play a “crucible.” That’s exactly how it feels in Holly Race Roughan’s riveting production for Headlong and their partners. On Moi Tran’s sleek black set, with a wood-paneled walkway reminiscent of a prying courthouse corridor, the director creates a controlled environment for a collision of primal forces.
Miller’s tragic tale of Eddie Carbone, a Brooklyn longshoreman whose inappropriate feelings for his niece lead to the betrayal of his own family, evokes primal passions. The playwright was inspired by the archetypal inevitability of Greek drama and the unbreakable codes of honor in Sicilian culture. Against the backdrop of American justice, these ancient forces appear wild and untamable, with emotional logic holding more power than reason’s quiet voice.
With the stage cleared of everything except a few chairs and record players, Race Roughan sets free these passions. Especially in the early parts, she weaves the drama like an accordion, creating a dynamic sequence of tender domestic scenes punctuated by bursts of energy and moments of calm. This production allows us to experience this classic text with fresh ears.
Nancy Crane sets the pace as Alfieri, the lawyer who serves as the play’s chorus, delivering her prologue with a conversational ease. The fantastic trio of Jonathan Slinger, Kirsty Bushell, and Rachelle Diedericks, portraying Eddie, his wife Beatrice, and his niece Catherine, make full use of the space, their affection for each other giving the impression that they’ve never read to the end of the play. The tragic descent of Eddie is all the more heartbreaking because of the loving home life he’s lost.
The arrival of Marco and Rodolpho, the “submarines” (played by Tommy Sim’aan and Luke Newberry), disrupts the balance, but their respect for Eddie is no less than Catherine’s affection. Their only crime is being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
While the addition of a pirouetting docker may seem excessive, the careful groundwork laid in the first half pays off as the play hurtles towards its conclusion. The true tragedy lies in the intractable dilemma faced by Beatrice and Catherine, who love a man beyond redemption.
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