THEATRE REVIEW: A Delicate Balance

A Delicate Balance has just closed in the Studio Space above the State Theatre in State College. Directed by Ron Siebert, this is a production that proves that Edward Albee is one of America’s top playwrights.

Examining the delicate balance that goes into keeping relationships on an even plane, Albee and a very talented cast provide the audience with an enjoyable evening.

Cary Anne Spear and Lloyd Short play the couple, Agnes and Tobias. Their scenes together show the mild affection that has become routine in their marriage.  Ms. Spear has most of the longer speeches at the beginning of the play and she handles the beauty of Albee’s language with great skill. Her dialogue gives the audience a hint of the conflict that is to come. As Agnes holds the family together, Ms. Spear holds the play together.

Lloyd Short, as Tobias, seems at times too meek, too mild. I was not sure if it was the case of an actor not too sure of himself on stage or how the part was directed. Later in the big dramatic scene between Tobias and his best friend, Harry, Mr. Short shows his acting skills. I wish that I had seen some indication of that passion earlier.

Susanna Ritti has the fun of playing Claire, Agnes’s alcoholic sister. Ms. Ritti plays the part with all engines running. Never does she play her part as the laughable drunk. Her comments wisely point out the frailties of the human condition giving most of the comedy relief to the play.

The daughter, Julia, is played by Rhiannon McClintock. Her need for the safe haven of home is balanced with an ambiguous feeling toward her parents. Ms. McClintock does most of her early scenes with a face that shows her bitterness and unhappiness. Her big scene in the second act shows what a talent this woman is.

Margaret Higgins and Tom McClary are the best friends, Edna and Harry who seem to have moved in to Julia’s room to stay. Again their early scenes do not completely prepare the audience for their outbursts later on.

I like Albee. He was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for A Delicate Balance, but it is probably Whose Afraid of Virginia Wolf that has become better known play. His use of language is almost Shakespearian and his understanding of the undercurrents of relationships may be ugly at times, but very real.

I can not finish this review without mentioning The Next Stage, a non-profit corporation that produces plays that need to be done. The production company’s history includes some of America’s greatest playwrights and shows that may not be the commercial success of the big musicals, but classics for the true theatre lover.

This was my first visit to see one of their productions and I loved it. Located above the main stage at the State Theatre on College Avenue in State College, the venue is small and intimate. The atmosphere was of being an invited guest and witnessing true drama in a private home.

This terrific production showed why Edward Albee is worthy of his acclaim and that we are a valley that can be happy about our theatre community.