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Three Tall Women by Edward Albee at the John Golden Theater

Other than the 2012 revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Edward Albee's work has never been for me. He's a bit too dry and angry for me. And there's only so much I can take of watching affluent people sit around, drink, and be caustic towards one another. I passed on At Home at the Zoo at the Signature earlier this season because I just knew I would not enjoy it.

But then the Broadway revival of Three Tall Women opened and although I am not an Albee fan, I am a huge, huge fan of Laurie Metcalf. I will see her do almost anything (but I couldn't sit through Misery) and her performance in A Doll's House, Part 2 last season is one of my favorites of all time. If she is on stage, I am there. And this time she shares the stage with Glenda Jackson.

Would this production change the way I felt about Edward Albee's work?

Nope.

There many terrific elements in Joe Mantello's revival of the play. His direction is seamless with expert pacing. I would say that he gets wonderful performances from his three actresses (the aforementioned Metcalf and Jackson are joined by Allison Pill) but knowing how talented they are, I don't credit him per say. And his concept and design are some of the strongest in recent memory. Miriam Buether's set is not only gorgeous but evokes a sense of other-worldliness, the mirrors making it feel as though the second act exists in between time and space, like some sort of limbo. It is aided by Paul Gallo's stunning lighting and Ann Roth's beautiful costumes (it helps that all three women look stunning in them.) All of the pieces are definitely, definitely there.

I just couldn't get on with the script. Three Tall Women is basically Albee's "screw you" to the mother he always hated. He paints his character as a terrible bigot and anti-Semitic homophobe. She hated her son, presumably because he was gay. She cheated on her husband, who she clearly married for his money. She starts off as C, an idealistic young woman (don't we all), who basically exists in the play to be horrified at the acrid woman she eventually becomes. B, the middle-aged version, has already come to terms with person she is, and is not remorseful at all for any of the choices she has made. And by the time she becomes A, she is who she is. And quite frankly, the text borders on "old people say the darndest things." But what does it all amount to? For this theatergoer, nothing.

Yes, the acting is overall great but I wonder if Glenda Jackson's raves stem from the response of having a legend back on stage. Laurie Metcalf is her terrific self but it's a performance I've seen her give, and she even did it better last season. Allison Pill is fine but her character doesn't have the same juicy material as B and C.

Which brings me to a question I have been grappling with this season: can you separate the play from the production? This has come up often in regards to the current revival of Once on This Island. Many say the musical itself is fine but the production is amazing. But for me, if I can't connect with the material, I can't connect with the production. This production of Three Tall Women received raves, which is absolutely fine. I can't argue with other people's opinions. Yes, this revival is probably the best production of the play we're going to get. I just know that I can't connect with the material. The play is the thing, and if I just feel bored and disconnected from what's happening on stage, I can't love the production.
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