In the 5,000 years they’ve been married, George and Maggie Antrobus have survived wars, plagues, floods, and everything in between. Now they're running low on food – and a massive glacier is headed toward their New Jersey home. An epic, timely comedy about the endurance of human spirit, Thornton Wilder’s THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH follows one “everyfamily” through the great struggles and triumphs of the human experience. Led by innovative director Lileana Blain-Cruz in a production that speaks directly to our current moment, this Pulitzer Prize-winning classic with additional material by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is a profound reminder that life is always worth living – no matter how difficult things get.
If Blain-Cruz's vision falters in the play's third act-which certainly is its weakest, though still transcendent in moments-that is because Wilder shifts focus to Mr. Antrobus and Henry (Julian Robertson), far less rewarding characters on the page. This production simply finds more of interest in the play's women. So while Blain-Cruz has wrangled many of the play's impossible contradictions, she has no particular take on the father-son argument which dominates act three (a baffling scene, in which the actors again drop in and out of character), and the production does slow as a result. No matter. The overall achievement of this staging is still titanic, both for its wrangling with an impossible play and its pushing forward of a theater defined by traditions. One can feel the struggle of a creative team (all making LCT debuts, except Blain-Cruz) boldly willing the dried-up gears of an aging apparatus to move in new, exciting ways. Like Wilder's play, the ultimate achievement is messy, imperfect, and seminal.
Lincoln Center takes its one intermission here, with time to reflect on the excellences thus far: the puppetry for sure, credited to James Ortiz; Adam Rigg's flashy yet seedy boardwalk setting; spectacular sound effects from Palmer Hefferan; and the sturdy performances by the principals, notably Gabby Beans as Sabina. That part has to carry both acts on her slim shoulders, and in 1943 the larger-than-life diva Tallulah Bankhead triumphed, director Elia Kazan having cast her famously against type. Beans, in her Broadway debut, is an Eartha Kitt rather than a Tallulah: seductive and sensible by turns, a tiger who can turn pussycat at will. I don't know whether a leading role in a Lincoln Center revival can carry the oomph necessary to be a star-maker, but I have a hunch Beans' future star status is pretty secure.
| 2022 | Broadway |
Lincoln Center Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Puppet Design | James Ortiz |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Awards | Gabby Beans |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Founders Award for Excellence in Directing | Lileana Blain-Cruz |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | The Skin Of Our Teeth |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Scenic Design (Play or Musical) | Adam Rigg |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Montana Levi Blanco |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Lileana Blain-Cruz |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Play | Yi Zhao |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Gabby Beans |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | Adam Rigg |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Play | Palmer Hefferan |
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