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Regional Reviews: Philadelphia Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Also see Tim's reviews of Because of Winn-Dixie and The Three Musketeers
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is considered to be one of the greatest plays ever written and had its Broadway debut in 1962. Performed in three acts ("Fun and Games," "Walpurgisnacht," and "The Exorcism"), it runs a little over three hours, but I promise you won't notice the length. From the moment George and Martha walk into their home at 2:00 AM, already drunk from a party, the games begin, and you're only left wondering who will be the ultimate winner at the end. When Nick and Honey arrive, things start off cordial, then quickly dive into the abyss, with lots of alcohol involved, until each character's true nature is ripped raw. Steel River Playhouse wisely made the decision to perform this play not on their downstairs main stage but in their upstairs Newberry Loft theatre-in-the-round. Each side only has two or three rows of chairs, allowing the audience to feel like they are flies on the walls of George and Martha's living room. Furniture and props are arranged in a circular pattern on the stage, and if it's there, it's going to be used. This allows total focus on the characters without other things competing for the audience's attention. Steel River's production, directed by Jules Tasca, is incredibly fast paced (the way it should be), with the barbs flying so fast that you just might want to take cover. It is blessed with four strong performers who work seamlessly together. One thing about Albee's masterpiece is that if there is one weak link, game over. Luckily, that doesn't happen at all with this stellar cast: Artistic Director Gene Terruso (George), Lori-Nan Engler (Martha), Matthew Tyler Horn (Nick), and Ali Wetzel (Honey). Terruso and Engler use every nuance they can to convey George and Martha's love/hate relationship. One little lift of the eyebrow or slight smile can add an enormous amount to an intimate play like this, and it's much to their credit that these veteran performers use all of that to their distinct advantage. I saw Engler a few years ago as Sister Aloysius in Doubt; the fact that she can go from that part to drunken Martha shows that she has great range. Horn is captivating as Nick, especially in his one-on-one with George, and Wetzel plays the naïve Honey well, trying so hard to make a great impression in this new town, but falling under the spell of this very dysfunctional house. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? really benefits from Steel River's theatre-in-the-round staging, so be sure not to miss this intense production. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? runs through May 10, 2015, at the Steel River Playhouse, 245 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA. Tickets are $15-$19 and are available online at www.steelriver.org or call 610-970-1199 .
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