Long Day's Journey Into Night
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Hunt, Hendry, Geer, LeFave
Photo by Miriam Geer
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By Ben Miles
Blanche DuBois and Mary Tyrone are towering female characters of the American theater. The former is the protagonist of A Streetcar Named Desire. The latter is the fading star in Long Day's Journey Into Night. Booze-plagued playwright Tennessee Williams is the Streetcar/ scribe. Drunken dramatist Eugene O'Neill is the author of Journey. Nevertheless, to gain insight into our nation's checkered psyche, it is useful to visit, and occasionally revisit, each of these neurotically charged plays when the opportunity presents itself.
Fortunately, a serviceable production of Long Day's Journey Into Night is being staged by the rustic and reliable outdoor venue that is the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, in Topanga Canyon, through September 27. Directed with a sturdy touch by Heidi Helen Davis, this three-hour, four-act theatrical marathon moves along at a clip reminiscent of a Chekhov piece, while never quite scaling the dramatic epiphanies that O'Neill's script of dysfunction and addiction has to offer. Still, O'Neill's chronicle of familial dynamics and the spiraling disintegration of relationships has the ring of truth to it. It's not only O'Neill's exquisite use of language that carries and clarifies the play --"days of wine and roses" is a line coined in Journey, as is "stranger in a strange land--,.it's that the story is O'Neill's autobiography (though the names have been changed).
Eugene O'Neill's father--the character of James Tyrone in the play--was an acclaimed classical actor of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He was billed with the matinee idols of the day, including Edwin Booth. Though James accumulated a small fortune during his profitable performing career, he was a miserly and intolerant patriarch. Moreover, his professional status was compromised by spending 25 years playing the title role in The Count of Monte Cristo. Why did he do it? Like the talented actors of today who trade artistry for security, James earned an estimated $800,000 for his long term commitment to The Count. But while the role lent financial fortitude to the family, the endeavor left James aesthetically dissatisfied, if not bitter.
All of this and more becomes fodder for O'Neill's masterful dramatization. James O'Neill married Ella (Mary in the play), and they had two sons: James Junior and Eugene (Journey's Jamie and Edmund, respectively). Jamie becomes a less than successful Broadway actor, while Edmund (Eugene's alter ego) dabbles as a merchant seaman and vagabond, and he suffers as a victim of tuberculosis.
The action of the play unfolds within one summer day in 1912--a day replete with displays of resentments, roguish intoxication, and morphine-induced delirium. You might now be having thoughts, or second thoughts, similar to those of the actual James O'Neill after he saw the Broadway premiere of Eugene's 1920 play, Beyond the Horizon. Supposedly, the elder O'Neill asked his son, "Are you trying to send them (audiences) home to commit suicide?" Not to worry, however. Journey is not merely cataclysmic; it is cathartic. It's an artistic time capsule that's certain to convey not only frustration and aggravation but also compassion and appreciation for the fragility of love and the frailty of life. Blood is thicker than water, but is easily diluted by whiskey and dope.
As James Tyrone, William Dennis Hunt is solid, if not inspired. Hunt's portrayal of this character is that of a crusty curmudgeon; but where's the artist's soul that surely must be inside a man who's spent a career as an interpretive performer?
Ellen Geer has an appropriate appearance and demeanor as Mary Tyrone and often hides behind those exterior accoutrements. Geer is overly-mannered in the role and superficial in her interpretation of this complicated character. This part is a magnum opus for many actresses. Under Geer's stewardship it is easier to have disdain for Mary than to find empathy for her.
As Jamie, Jim LaFave is intense and well-timed. His anger ranges from futile outbursts to palpable rage. Moreover, LaFave makes Jamie's many moments of inebriation entirely convincing.
Aaron Hendry captures the heart and spirit of Edmund. With Hendry's gentle regard for the role and a winning sensitivity, we feel his pain. Through Hendry, Edmund's cough becomes our concern, his illness our preoccupation.
Long Day's Journey Into Night is a canonical legacy in modern theater. And though this production is imperfect, the show remains worth seeing.
Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Topanga Canyon. For reservations, dial (310) 455 - 3723. For more details, visit www.theatricum.com.
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