Review: Edward Albee's A DELICATE BALANCE at Walnut Street Theatre

Walnut Street Theatre has done it again, this time producing a captivating and visually compelling adaptation of A Delicate Balance. Written by Edward Albee, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play portrays a couple in their late fifties whose lives are disrupted by an unexpectedly full house. A Delicate Balance explores topics of alcoholism, fractured relationships between family and friends, and the quiet acceptance that comes with old age. Directed by Bernard Havard, Walnut Street Theatre's production successfully hits the dark, comedic beats while illuminating the heightened tensions among characters. 

Told in three acts across one weekend, the audience is dropped into a conversation between Agnes and Tobias, played by Alicia Roper and Paul L. Nolan, owners of the lavish estate, which is soon interrupted by Agnes's younger sister, Claire, played by Grace Gonglewski. The sisters' feud is discussed from the opening scene and is apparent throughout the entire performance. Whether playing the accordion or clutching a drink, Gonglewski delivers a portrayal of Claire that is equally chaotic and darkly comedic, capturing both the humor and underlying emotions of her alcoholism. 

Julia, played by Alanna J. Smith, is the daughter of Agnes and Tobias, and arrives home Friday evening following another failed attempt at marriage. Soon after, Harry and Edna, friends of Agnes and Tobias, arrive at the doorstep unannounced. Peter Schmitz and Wendy Scharfman play the disturbed couple who, instead of asking, declare they are moving in—as friends do—sparking a fit of rage and emotion from Julia, as Smith goes into complete hysterics. 

Aside from the talented ensemble, Set Designer Roman Tatarowicz and Lighting Designer Ryan O'Gara paired to create a stage that is not only visually appealing but makes the audience feel as if they have been dropped into the living room themselves. The production benefits from the intimate setting of the living room, as the only room of the house that the audience witnesses. 

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