The stage adaptation of Edith
Wharton’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The
Age of Innocence, is receiving a sumptuous, thoroughly entertaining
production at Hartford Stage.
The story focuses on Newland
Archer, a young up-and-coming lawyer who is set to wed the charming and
attractive May Welland. All is well
until Newland becomes infatuated with his bride-to-be’s cousin, Countess Ellen
Olenska, a beautiful and alluring woman, nonetheless, caught up in scandal. The infatuation, played out amongst the rituals
and social mores of New York’s wealthy families, jeopardizes his marriage and
overall happiness.
Helen Cespedes and Andrew Veenstra in "The Age of Innocence." |
Playwright Douglas McGrath has been
faithful to the book that chronicles the upper crust of New York society in the
1870’s. He homes in on the essential themes
of the book such as family honor, the harshness and strictness of high
society’s social code, the self-perpetuating traditions of the rich and
privileged.
The superb cast, led by
Broadway and Off-Broadway veterans, handsomely portray their characters with
sophistication and grandeur. While all
members of the acting troupe are outstanding, a few are worth singling out. Boyd Gaines, a multi-Tony Award winning
actor, portrays The Old Gentlemen with a world-weary melancholiness. He anchors the production with pithy
narration and humorous asides. Helen
Cespedes comes across as somewhat vapid and simple as May Welland, but cunningly
disguises a scheming no nonsense persona. Sierra Boggess, gorgeous as Countess
Ellen Olenska, exudes elegance and charisma, which mixes with a wounded veneer.
Andrew Veenstra, dapper and smooth as
Newland Archer, gives a worthy performance as a young man confronting the
choice between a loveless marriage and his yearning for a more provocative and
captivating woman.
Director Doug Hughes guides the
production with a skill and flair that emphasizes the refinement of the times
as well as the hollowness and social contradictions during the late 19th
century. The pacing of the show is brisk
and intelligent. While the assorted
featured roles can sometimes be hard to distinguish they, nonetheless, are
positioned nicely in an upper-class minuet.
Scenic Designer John Lee Beatty
has crafted a soaring, lattice work structure that reflects the grandiose majesty
of high-minded society types and their opulent residences.
Linda Cho’s costumes are
evocative of the era, showing the glamour and stylishness of the very rich.
Yan Li, an accomplished
pianist, on-stage throughout the play, provides expressively tinged and resplendent
mood music that adds a luxurious opulence to the production.
The Age
of Innocence, playing at Hartford Stage through May 6th.
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