by Acorn Jones
Someone once said, “Chekhov is hard”. The Classical Theatre of Harlem proves that statement. CTH is starting off their 10th anniversary by producing Three Sisters, directed by co-founder Christopher McElroen, at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse February 15th-March 8th.
When you walk into CTH’s new space at the Gatehouse you think that someone must have won the lottery. The space is gorgeous. The first floor is of glass and steel construction; when you ascend the winding spiral staircase up to the theatre, the steel is replaced by beautiful brass hinged iron doors set deep into hand cut rock walls. Russian folk music wafts down the staircase transporting you into another time as you enter the theatre. The audience sits on either side of the stage, a long walkway covered in carpets and rugs; the walls themselves are covered with patchwork rugs. Combined with the dimmed lighting we walk into a sheltered environment, dark and oppressive, yet expansive. The music included into the setting evokes a Russian way of life, joy and excitement in a tired and worn soul; life could be renewed here, but why trust change? (If you’ve been to Russia for even a few days you understand this.)
Chekhov may be hard, but CTH gives him a solid production. Most impressive was the pace they found for the four act play; the evening pushes ahead and keeps you from falling out of the play. While quick paced, only a few moments were rushed throughout the play, such as the dance during act two, and Irina (Carmen Gill, who starts the play as a breath of fresh air) receiving the news about Tuzenbach’s (Josh Tyson) death.
The simplicity of the production allows the audience to find new things about the play; Solyony (Phillip Christian) and Chebutykin (Reg E. Cathey) are two of the hardest characters in the play to flesh out and both actors did wonderful work in humanizing the roles. Carmen de Lavallade and Earle Hyman as Anfisa and Ferapont add a great deal of joy to the production, and being the pros that they are, they pull back enough so they don’t outshine the rest of the production.
One of the more surprising revelations for me was that the sisters had grown apart and are too embarrassed to admit that they don’t know each other anymore. Sabrina LeBeauf offers a fine performance as Olga, and by the end of the play has stepped in to pull her family back together. Andrey (Billy Eugene Jones) is a little man fighting to be noticed and never realizes that he was the one the sisters all rallied around and counted on. His betrayal of his sisters’ love is remarkably played out. Amanda Mason Warren as Masha and Daphne Gaines as Natasha go at it head to head throughout, and it’s wonderfully painful to watch the status changes throughout their encounters. A very strong cast throughout, they make a good ensemble together.
The Classical Theatre of Harlem has offered a wonderful hard working production. With a little more joy and spontaneity from the cast as a whole (which they were well on their way to finding) the production will lift off the ground and really soar.
Having seen this play about fifteen times, including in Moscow, the Classical Theatre of Harlem’s production is one of the top three for me.
_______
Harlem Stage has hosted such legendary artists as Harry Belafonte, Max Roach, Bill Cosby and Maya Angelou. For more information about Harlem Stage, visit wwwdotharlemstagedotorg.
The Classical Theatre of Harlem was co-founded in 1999 by Alfred Preisser and Christopher McElroen and have since staged thirty-five productions, which have been awarded with 5 OBIE Awards, 2 Lucille Lortel Awards, a Drama Desk Award and the Edwin Booth Award for Artistic Excellence, among many others.
THREE SISTERS official opening night is Wednesday February 18th and runs through Sunday March 8th. The schedule will be Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 3 PM. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased by calling the Harlem Stage Box Office at 212.281.9240 ext. 19/20 or online at wwwdotharlemstagedotorg. For more information about The Classical Theatre of Harlem, visit their web site at www.classicaltheatreofharlem.org.
