By Matt Johnson, Concord, guest blogger. This was previously published on the Concord Discussion List.
A middle-aged couple arrives home from a party at 2 AM. The wife, Martha, asks her husband George to pour her a drink. Soon George discovers that this is no nightcap; Martha has invited a young couple that they just met over for après-party drinks.
So begins "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", the classic Edward Albee drama now playing at the Emerson Umbrella. A controversial sensation when it opened on Broadway in 1963, the play has subsequently been etched into the American psyche via the Elizabeth Taylor / Richard Burton movie edition.
While Liz and Dick may seem like a hard act to follow, Jennifer Roberts and BoB Knapp (the director and professional actor standing in at the last minute for Tim Otte) put in outstanding performances at the Umbrella, ably supported by Houston Bernard and Carrie Schantz as Nick and Honey.
Those who distantly recall the alcohol-fueled angst of the film on late-night TV might be surprised at the wit and frequent hilarity of the dialog. While Albee's script is still capable of shocking middle-class sensibilities by laying bare every unmet ambition, unrealized hope and personal indignity, George and Martha's assault on manners owes more to the uproarious drawing room farces of Moliere and Wilde than the existential venom of Pinter. It's an entertainment, not a final exam.
It's a great treat to watch outstanding drama right here in Concord. This second play in Emerson Umbrella's inaugural season (following last fall's popular staging of The Producers) confirms what an asset this new community theater can be to our town. There are still two more performances left -- 8PM tonight, and 3 PM Sunday. If you haven't seen it already, I strongly recommend going.
A middle-aged couple arrives home from a party at 2 AM. The wife, Martha, asks her husband George to pour her a drink. Soon George discovers that this is no nightcap; Martha has invited a young couple that they just met over for après-party drinks.
So begins "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", the classic Edward Albee drama now playing at the Emerson Umbrella. A controversial sensation when it opened on Broadway in 1963, the play has subsequently been etched into the American psyche via the Elizabeth Taylor / Richard Burton movie edition.While Liz and Dick may seem like a hard act to follow, Jennifer Roberts and BoB Knapp (the director and professional actor standing in at the last minute for Tim Otte) put in outstanding performances at the Umbrella, ably supported by Houston Bernard and Carrie Schantz as Nick and Honey.
Those who distantly recall the alcohol-fueled angst of the film on late-night TV might be surprised at the wit and frequent hilarity of the dialog. While Albee's script is still capable of shocking middle-class sensibilities by laying bare every unmet ambition, unrealized hope and personal indignity, George and Martha's assault on manners owes more to the uproarious drawing room farces of Moliere and Wilde than the existential venom of Pinter. It's an entertainment, not a final exam.
It's a great treat to watch outstanding drama right here in Concord. This second play in Emerson Umbrella's inaugural season (following last fall's popular staging of The Producers) confirms what an asset this new community theater can be to our town. There are still two more performances left -- 8PM tonight, and 3 PM Sunday. If you haven't seen it already, I strongly recommend going.
