CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF: Drama by Tennessee Williams. Tides Theatre Company, Tides Theatre, 533 Sutter Street 2nd Floor, (Between Powell & Mason), San
Francisco. 415-399-1322 or www.tidestheatre.org. July 10 –August 30, 2014
The women shine in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at Tides Theatre.
[rating:3] (3 of 5 stars)
In Freshman English Composition at the Hamilton College (Alexander Woolcott was an alumnus) the instructor assigned an “F” to any essay beginning with “According to Webster’s dictionary. . .” However, a review of Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize and Drama Critic’s Circle Award play, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF almost demands such a beginning. The word is mendacity: a noun; untruthfulness, lies.
After the play opened 60 years ago, the word became very popular, often used in a jocular vein by comedians and forever associated with Big Daddy, the South and the play. Mendacity is a major theme and the cause of fractured relationships and internal torment throughout all 3 acts. Yes, 3 Acts, three hours with two intermissions. The third act became a source of friction between original director Elia Kazan and the author. Two act plays came into vogue later. Williams has created a play in classic format honoring the three unities of time, place and characters (action). Co-directors (?) Christian Haines & James Baldock have used the powerful, final, 1974 version with Big Daddy’s explicative, the forbidden word “queer”, and the raunchy elephant joke intact. Paradoxically, Williams used a version of the “Broadway” third act advised by Kazan.
Deteriorating relationships are a distinguishing characteristic of a Tennessee Williams play. In CAT, rather than deteriorate, the relationships become excruciatingly apparent in their vindictiveness as the mendacity of the major characters is revealed. It is a family affair, an impending death of the patriarch, Big Daddy (a one-dimensional performance by Joe Kearns replacing the injured Christian Phillips) and an inheritance to protect.
Brick (only occasionally believable Peter Townley) Big Daddy’s youngest and favorite son at age 27 has become an alcoholic after the death of his best friend Skipper. He has his right leg in a cast and uses a wooden crutch to move about. He has married Maggie (a superb Jennifer Welch) who is spurned sexually and emotionally by Brick. She describes her situation as if she is a cat on a hot tin roof and she can’t jump off. The entire first act is basically a monolog for Maggie “the cat” and Welch’s performance is riveting.
It is Big Daddy’s 65th birthday and the family has descended on the plantation to celebrate the event. Big Mama (enthusiastic, impressive Carole Robinson) is overjoyed because she has been told (falsely) that Big Daddy’s medical problem is nothing more than a spastic colon. The remainder of the family are, Gooper (a very capable Brandon Mears) a lawyer and the ignored oldest son, with his fecund pregnant wife Mae (pitch perfect April Green) and their five “no neck children” (pared down to one for the minuscule stage).
Big Daddy and Big Mama have not been told that Big Daddy has cancer and is truly dying. Gooper and Mae’s devious machinations and obsequious behavior are designed to gain control of the estate. This is in direct conflict with Maggie the Cat whose was born white trash poor and is going to fight for the inheritance for Brick and herself. She is not going to be poor again. This can be assured if she can conceive a son which is Big Daddy’s greatest wish. The conflict between Mae and Maggie is like two cats in a territorial struggle with no holds barred.
The first act is an extended 45 minutes of Maggie’s pleadings with Brick constantly drinking and not listening. Oddly, Brick’s presence and his perfunctory remarks seem as afterthoughts.
In the second act Joe Kearns’ Big Daddy explodes on the scene with his physical stature and booming voice without nuance. Where the confrontation between father and son should be engrossing as the long simmering secrets come to the surface, the scene, although violently physically staged, fails to capture the depth of the despair in Brick’s head. The revelations should be devastating ending with Big Daddies assertion that the difference between man and pigs, is that pigs cannot contemplate their mortality.
There is an acceptable denouement in Act III. Rounding out the cast, in small roles, are Randy Hurst as the Doctor Baugh, Francis Serpa as Reverend Tooker, Tassiana Willis Sookie a servant and young Miles Berson as Buster. Williams is a master at creating women characters and this show shines with Jennifer Welch, Carole Robinson and April Green in pivotal roles.
Running time three hours with two intermissions.
Cast: Margaret, Jennifer Welch; Brick, Peter Townley; Mae, April Green; Big Mama, Carole Robinson; Big Daddy, Joe Kearns; Reverend Tooker, Francis Serpa; Cooper, Brandon Mears; Doctor Baugh, Randy Hurst; Sookie, Tassiana Willis; Buster, Miles Bernson.
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Co-Directors, Christian Haines & James Baldock: Sound Designer, Jon Bernson; Casting Director, Sally Dana; Scenic Design, Alicia Griffiths; Lighting Design, Andrea Schwartz; Production Manager, Deborah Cichocki; Stage Manager, Tassiana Willis; Costume Designer, James Baldock; Poster Design, Liz Pavlovic; Photographer, Greg LeBlanc; Fight Direction, Will Springhorn; Artistic & Technical Interns, Jeff Graham.
Kedar K. Adour, MD
Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com.
