James Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden play Michael and Veronica who are graciously hosting Jeff Daniels business-charged Alan and Hope Davis’ sweet and sour Annette. What evolves in their biting repartee are super-charged performances that build to several remarkable crescendos.
The staging is minimal and effective, the setting by Mark Thompson is the living room of Michael and Veronica who have taken to hosting Alan and Annette one afternoon to meet and work out a plan to resolve their familial crisis. The vivid red set brought to life by Hugh Vanstone's lighting draws you in and the stark white proscenium frames the stage like a crisp window into the lives of these seemingly buttoned-up souls. The action begins as the couples discuss their lives and what brought them together to discuss how “Children consume our lives and then destroy them…” Cell phones, pepto bismol and a runaway hamster are all fodder that this stellar cast chews up and spits out to great comic effect.
“Fuck the hamster, “ Gandolfini bellows at one point as the couples wrestle for rum to ease the increasing discomfort their get-together has wrought. Pacing and pouncing about the stage effectively, the actors performances in Yasmina Reza's play delightfully ebb and flow in this tour de force of seasoned players. Engaging and erupting, the actors lay claim to their roles and go beyond reality to create a delightfully suspenseful and hilarious production. It’s a pleasure to see such high caliber actors in their prime! ~g
http://godofcarnage.com/home.php
Below:
Daniels take a bow at curtain call during the Broadway opening of "God Of Carnage" at Bernard Jacobs Theatre on March 22, 2009 in New York City.
(Photo by
Jemal Countess/Getty Images North America)
Comments