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| Mary Joan-Negro, Mary Lou Rosato, Patti LuPone. (Photos: Diane Gorodnitzki.) |
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| Company of The Three Sisters. |
A worthwhile revival
of the Prozoroff family drama by the Acting Company, recent alumni of
Juilliard, produced in repertory with four other plays during their second New
York season. Young actors making the stretch to play older roles can often be embarrassing
to watch, but this developing troupe—several of whose members became
substantial artists—was able to pull off the feat with considerable aplomb.
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| Mary-Joan Negro, Kevin Kline. |
As the sisters of the
title, Mary-Joan Negro was “a touching and romantically appealing Masha,” Patti
LuPone “a spirited and disquieted Irina,” and Mary Lou Rosato “a stiff-lipped
but compassionate Olga,” according to Clive Barnes. Kevin Kline had some
trouble with Vershinin, but the rest of the cast provided a production that Brendan
Gill thought “well worth going to see.” Barnes recommended it, too, both for
the “special and unaffected clarity” of the performances and for Boris Tumarin’s
truthful and atmospheric direction, although Barnes felt it lacked “that
special sheen of idealism that runs through the play.”
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| David Schramm, Patti Lupone, Norman Snow. |
Cast members included,
among others, Norman Snow as Tusenbach, David Schramm as Chebutykin, Sam
Tsoutsouvas as Solyony, Leah Chandler as Dounyasha, Benjamin Hendrickson as
Andrey, David Ogden Stiers as Kulygin, and Cynthia Herman as Natasha.
Next up: Ti-Jean and His Brothers
