review: the coast of utopia: part III, salvage...
by gordin & christiano
The journey has concluded with Salvage,
the third part of Tom Stoppard’s ambitious trilogy The Cost
of Utopia which opened at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. The visually
stunning Lincoln Center production is an impressive achievement
covering decades of time, cram packed with ideas and philosophies
and peopled with a multitude of characters. Directed by previous
Stoppard collaborator Jack O’Brien, the richly evocative evening
is stylishly dazzling, but despite all its accomplishments the epic
drama chronicling the life of a group of 19th century Russian intellectuals
longing for the revolution is ultimately less than compelling theatre.
Each installment begins with the
image of Alexander Herzen (Brian F. O’Byrne) sitting alone
holding the glove of his lost child, Kolya, and each part begins
with the sound of a bell, symbolic for the paper The Bell, which
Herzen published and for which history remembers him best.
You could use a score card to keep
tack of the players and storylines, but here’s a quick roundup.
The trilogy follows six young noblemen, who meet as students at
the University of Moscow during the reign of Tsar Nicholas and forge
lasting friendships. Herzen’s life unfolds in three chapters.
Part I Voyage covers roughly a ten-year period and takes place at
his family’s country home. The young Herzen with his friend
Nicholas Ogarev (Josh Hamilton) are propelled to avenge the Decembrists
and bring Russia into the modern age. This will be the turning point
of their lives propeling the drama. Part II Shipwreck takes us to
Paris in 1848 and is symbolic for Herzen’s spiritual shipwreck
as he watches the newly emancipated French people go against their
best interests and select a king. Stoppard combines love issues
with the political drama and we watch as Herzen’s personal
life mirrors the political reversals taking several disastrous turns.
Part III – Salvage chronicles
the final 15 years of Herzen’s career in London, where he
is in lonely exile raising his children. He is reunited with his
friend Ogarev and establishes the Free Russian Press publishing
The Bell, a cheap paper, which exposed corruption and advocated
free speech. The Bell published opinions from within Russia calling
not only for Polish independence, but also for the emancipation
of the Russian serfs and was then smuggled back into Russia.
Brian F. O’Byrne grounds the
evening with a strong performance, but the entire company is uniformly
excellent. Martha Plimpton and Jennifer Ehle, as the women in Herzen’s
life, are outstanding. Performing in rep the accomplished cast turn
in extraordinary work.
Jack O’Brien has given so much
attention to the stunning visuals, that his almost operatic staging
overwhelms the story and the actors. Visually we are enthralled,
yes, but emotionally, we are distanced. An exciting triumph nonetheless.
The lighting by Natasha Katz is superb,
the sets by Bob Crowley and Scott Pask are dramatically wonderful
with lush transitions, and Catherine Zuber’s beautiful costumes
are richly detailed period recreations that complete the design
beautifully.
The visuals will linger in your mind
long after you have forgotten much of the evening’s intellectual
banter. The message remains crystal clear. Stop searching……
Utopia does not exist; be happy with the imperfect world we live
in.
The three plays are now running in
rotating repertory through May 13. However for the impassioned Stoppard
addict, they may be seen in their entirely on eight remaining Saturdays
in a marathon schedule. Part I starts at 11 a.m. and ends at 1:40
p.m.; Part II begins at 3:30 p.m. ending at 6:00pm; and Part III
begins at 8pm concluding around 10:30 p.m.
The Coast of Utopia: Part III –
Salvage opened on February 19, 2007 at the Lincoln Center Vivian
Beaumont Theater, 150 West 65th Street at Broadway. For tickets
call 212-239-6200 or visit the box office. Times and dates vary.
Gordin & Christiano are theatre
critics. Barry Gordin is an internationally renowned photographer.
They can be reached at bg6@verizon.net.
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