When I bought a
ticket to see The Dance of Death at
Classic Stage Company, I didn't realize the date I had picked was Ash
Wednesday. Had I thought about it, though, could there have been a better play
to see for the beginning of a period of reflection on sin and mortality?
August
Strindberg wrote Dance of Death in
September of 1900, penning a sequel two months later. It is Dance of Death Part I that is most
interesting dramatically, though, and it is that play that Conor McPherson
adapted for Trafalgar Studios in London in 2012, and that is being revived now by
CSC.
McPherson's
adaptation cuts the cast down to three, eliminating the maid Jenny, the sentry
who paces back and forth outside, and my favorite part, the mysterious old woman
who appears out of nowhere. None of these characters are strictly necessary for
the plot, but that's precisely why I love them. The old woman who appears when
the doors are blown open is mysterious, but the mystery is never resolved, and
it doesn't need to be.
In the end, Dance of Death is a mystery story
without a solution. The Captain, played in this production by Richard Topol, is
unhappily married to a former actress named Alice, played by Cassie Beck. They
are preparing to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary but hate each other
bitterly. Into this house of scorn and contempt comes Kurt, a cousin of Alice
played by Christopher Innvar. Much like another role Innvar has played, Albany
in King Lear, Kurt is a well-intentioned
man who is way out of his league when he pairs himself up with a ruthless
woman.
And Alice is
certainly ruthless! The scene where she makes Kurt bow before her and kiss her
shoe is priceless. What is more, you're guaranteed to get a seat with a good
view of that moment. CSC is putting the play on in the round, and director
Victoria Clark has staged it so everyone in the intimate space can see, unlike
some other directors I could name.
