The Lover, the first of the two Pinter plays in this double header, is pitch perfect, from the chime-like Beatles instrumentals that play over the scene changes, to the color of the furniture, to the choice of each cocktail glass. Most importantly, the direction (by Patrick McNulty) is right on point and the actors (Chris Thorn and Juliana Zinkel) are keenly attuned to each other and expertly maintain the chilly tension in Pinter's dialogue. Similarly astute choices mark the second play in the show, Ashes To Ashes, and the performances (by Allen McCullough and Christine Marie Brown) are quite good but I must admit a hard-to-ignore bias here: the play - more grave and enigmatic and with a wider narrative reach than the first - is much less to my personal taste. Nonetheless, both Pinter newbies and devotees are urged to see the pair.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Harold Pinter Pair
The Lover, the first of the two Pinter plays in this double header, is pitch perfect, from the chime-like Beatles instrumentals that play over the scene changes, to the color of the furniture, to the choice of each cocktail glass. Most importantly, the direction (by Patrick McNulty) is right on point and the actors (Chris Thorn and Juliana Zinkel) are keenly attuned to each other and expertly maintain the chilly tension in Pinter's dialogue. Similarly astute choices mark the second play in the show, Ashes To Ashes, and the performances (by Allen McCullough and Christine Marie Brown) are quite good but I must admit a hard-to-ignore bias here: the play - more grave and enigmatic and with a wider narrative reach than the first - is much less to my personal taste. Nonetheless, both Pinter newbies and devotees are urged to see the pair.
Where is this playing and for how long? And why is this the first I'm hearing about it?!
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