Interview: Melinda Page Hamilton of THE VISIT at Pasadena Playhouse
A lively spin on an iconic role
Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s The Visit is one of those plays that is shrouded in mists of grandeur. The role of Claire Zachanassian especially, which has been brought to life in various revivals, translations, and adaptations by the likes of Lynn Fontanne, Ingrid Bergman, Lauren Bacall, Lesley Manville, and Chita Rivera holds an unapproachable air to it. “She’s larger than life,” Melinda Page Hamilton shares as she prepares to take on the role in Darko Tresnjak’s production at Pasadena Playhouse, starring alongside Jefferson Mays. “This (play) is big and feels a little impenetrable the first time reading it, but once I sunk my teeth in, it’s not what I was expecting,” Hamilton shares.
She first became aware of the play when her father was employed as an assistant stage manager and understudy in its London premiere. Hamilton confesses, “sometimes writing (of this era) can feel a little stiff and creaky, but our first read-through came off the page in a way I did not expect. I was told this was a villainous character, and maybe it’s the generation I’m in, but to me her rage feels very understandable. She is a woman who has been degraded, humiliated, and broken, but she built herself back up. That’s not a villain to me. That’s a mythic journey— there’s something in her size that’s a bit like Medea or Clytemnestra.”
Aside from the heroines of Greek tragedy, Hamilton is pulling inspiration for her portrayal from another lifelong love: the classic screwball comedy. “(Zachanassian) is delighted at her own chance to play one of the richest and most glamorous people in the world. She’s going to name-drop and talk about all the places she travels— she’s trying to delight people.” With this in mind, Hamilton has dug through some of her favorite films to find inspiration for her portrayal. The likes of Katherine Hepburn, Claudette Colbert, and other stars Hamilton says are “baked into (her) brain” have colored the “sparkling wittiness and sharpness” of the character.
Having worked with Tresnjak twice before, Hamilton implicitly trusts that “if Darko calls you and wants you in something, he’s gonna get you into that world.” Audiences who enjoyed Tresnjak’s recent production of Amadeus will certainly be eager to see how this revival unfolds.
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