BWW Reviews: Geva Theatre Center's PRICE Too Taxing

Given the current economic climate, Rochester's GeVa Theatre Center's production of Arthur Miller's The Price, a drama incited by two brothers selling their deceased father's possessions, would appear to be perfectly timed. The heavy ties between identity and the struggle to live a purposeful, content life in capitalistic society are explored in depth, and the questions and uncertainty felt by the characters certainly resonate with a modern audience. Timothy Bond's production of the play starts off strongly but ultimately flounders as it reaches its conclusion.

Set in 1967, The Price takes place entirely in the cluttered, dusty attic of a Manhattan brownstone scheduled for demolition, where Victor, a New York City policeman on the verge of turning fifty, has returned sixteen years after his father's death to remove the relics of his past. The set, beautifully designed by Scott Bradley, is a claustrophobic, ominous marvel; slightly off-kilter and taking up only a portion of the complete Geva stage space, the mountain of old furniture and knickknacks acts (featuring, in a nice touch, chairs hanging from walls on ropes which are wholly reminiscent of nooses) as a constant reminder of the choices Victor and his brother, Walter, have made throughout their lives and the disappointments they each have experienced - the prices they have had to pay simply to live.

The standout performance in the four-person ensemble is delivered by Richard McWilliams as Victor. McWilliams near-perfectly embodies the world-weary cop with the strong-jawed charisma of Tony Curtis; his sharp features, congenial nature and warm smile hint at the man Victor could have been had he not sacrificed his life to his father, while his tired eyes and prominent bald spot convey his aging despair. The performance McWilliams gives fits the character remarkably well; his trained walk and secure demeanor falter now and then, cracks giving the audience a view of Victor's true self. Kenneth Tigar's performance as Gregory Solomon, the 89 year-old furniture dealer whose life is infused with new purpose by the appraisal, is ultimately distracting. Though he manages to charm the audience by virtue of Miller's surprisingly strong humor, in Tigar's hands Solomon becomes a twitchy caricature of an old Jewish salesman rather than the wise figure Miller ultimately reveals him to be. Carmen Roman and Tony DeBruno each do well as Esther and Walter; Roman in particular has wonderful quiet moments where her body language communicates more than Miller's words ever could about Esther's own sorrows, brought on by her decision to marry Victor. DeBruno's nuanced performance makes the final part of the play watchable, as he crescendos from quiet reserve to unbridled, bitter misery at the realization that he is unable to change the years of damage caused by his past decisions.

The main fault of The Price lies not in the production itself, but in Miller's structure; the play is not executed with the acuity of Death of a Salesman or The Crucible and runs far too long at two hours and forty minutes. Though Miller skillfully establishes the main conflict in the first scene in the dialogue between Victor and Esther, the drama unfolds at a snail's pace and, as a result, the twist at the end does not pack the punch one would expect of the playwright. Miller's tone is also incongruous throughout the play; Solomon's antics make his confession about his daughter's suicide abrupt, so much so that it seems like an ill-placed, ill-timed joke, and the audience often laughs at his most serious lines. This is compounded by a seemingly endless back and forth between Walter and Victor in the play's last half-hour and the lack of depth brought to Esther and Solomon, and resultantly the audience is left dissatisfied and fidgeting. Though Miller thoughtfully addresses the themes with which his name is synonymous with - family loyalty and abandonment, capitalism, and identity - The Price is ultimately too much, despite Bond's valiant attempt with his Geva production to cut the figurative costs.

Geva's production of The Price is co-produced with Syracuse Stage. The cast features Tony DeBruno and Richard McWilliams as the estranged brothers Walter and Victor Franz, and Carmen Roman as Victor's long-suffering wife, Esther. Kenneth Tigar, best known to audiences as Mr. Kopeckne in "Barney Miller," Becker in the Lethal Weapon movies and countless appearances in TV and movies from "Dallas" and "Dynasty" to "NCIS" and "ER," plays the wheeling, dealing antiques dealer Gregory Solomon.

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The Price will run until March 21 and is directed by Syracuse Stage's Producing Artistic Director Timothy Bond. The design team includes Scott Bradley (scenic designer), Laurie Churba Kohn (costume designer), Thomas C. Hase (lighting designer) and Jonathan R. Herter (sound designer). The Price is co-produced by Flaum Management Company, Inc. and WARM 101.3. Tickets are $22 - $59. For reservations call (585) 232 GEVA (4382) or visit www.gevatheatre.org.

 

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