The Barnstormers' production of T.S. Eliot's "The Cocktail Party" is a combination of emotion and mystery, psychology and philosophy, and the old-fashioned mixed with the modern.
If you're looking for intrigue, catharsis and some thought-provoking observations on humanity, look no further than this talented production of a classic play.
The show opens in the middle of a cocktail party, thrown at the home of Edward and Lavinia Chamberlayne. The host, Edward, is played by senior Gerrad Taylor, who makes his character perfectly believable and - despite moments of rage - never unlikable. Perhaps the most noticeable character in this scene is Julia Shuttlethwaite, played by senior Lisa Rosinsky, who is convincingly funny as a loudmouthed, meddling society woman.
When the party-goers leave, only Edward (Taylor) and one enigmatic bow-tied guest remains. This guest turns out to be Sir Henry Harcourt-Reilly, played by senior Mike Wills. The audience learns that Lavinia (senior Del Sorbo) has left Edward (Taylor), after five years of marriage. The stranger, Sir Henry (Wills), offers unconventional advice at first, but finally announces that he can promise the wife's return by the next day.
He leaves, and the other guests trickle back into the scene one or two at a time, revealing the deeper relationships between characters, such as the romantic one between Celia (Bhise) and Edward (Taylor). Some of Edward's (Taylor) friends include Peter Quilpe, the insecure, fanciful writer played effectively by sophomore Luke Mayhew, and Alex MacColgie Gibbs, played by senior Dave Santare, who certainly lends humor to the show with his character's ill-fated attempts at cooking.
When Lavinia (Del Sorbo) returns home, she and Edward (Taylor) get into a long and loud argument, leading Lavinia to smash a glass on the floor. Del Sorbo realistically portrays her character's bitterness and is especially commanding while yelling at Edward (Taylor). She even caused the audience to cower at her spite - which made her later shift to a good mood seem somewhat abrupt. The first act ends in the heat of this dramatic argument.
After intermission, the scene changes to the office of Sir Henry Harcourt-Reilly (Wills), which includes senior Lauren Kohan as the secretary and caterer. At this point, the psychological and philosophical undertones of the play are brought to the forefront through the conversations of characters coming to the office to talk to Sir Henry (Wills). Throughout the play, Wills' character, a psychoanalyst, delivers the bulk of these philosophical points, which seem to require a detached and slightly surreal manner - along with a few moments of great comedic timing.
The remainder of the play has a number of twists, but perhaps even more interesting than the content are some of the choices made by director Johanna Gruenhut. Gruenhut has been director and associate director for a number of successful plays, such as "The Mistakes Madeline Made," at the University of California, San Diego, and "BillyJoelTookMeToTheProm.Com" for American Globe Theatre's Short-Play-Festival. "The Cocktail Party" marks her first experience working with the Barnstormers,One telling choice made by Gruenhut was that of the costumes, which consist primarily of the students' everyday clothes such as jeans, sneakers and even bare feet. These costumes mirror the director's overall irreverent, non-traditional view of the text, which, rightly, deemphasizes Eliot's satirical commentary on British society, and instead focuses on the play's philosophical ideas. The observations of reality and human nature are as pertinent as ever, and this modern treatment of the play works well.The only discrepancies come with some of the content and language, such as the obviously dated discussion on "natives." The set, too, remains firmly in a different century, as the audience can clearly notice a gramophone and old-fashioned furniture.
Many of the characters' interactions with these set pieces are surprising, and a little distracting. Lovers Celia (Bhise) and Edward (Taylor) clamber freely over a couch and each other while having a discussion. During a therapy session, Celia (Bhise) scoots off the couch and plops onto the floor in frustration, and after she leaves, her psychoanalyst, Sir Henry (Wills), flops face-first onto the couch - much like a tired student onto a dorm bed.
However, the audience may have been able to more easily relate to these unaffected, obvious expressions of inner turmoil, and thereby remain engaged in the more abstruse dialogue. For example, when Bhise assumes an upside-down position on the couch, it conveys her vulnerability more clearly than the script easily can. As a whole, Bhise's performance is earnest and heartfelt: She gives it her all and is convincingly connected to her character.
The set, designed by junior Judy Penati and sophomore Stephanie Smith, also includes white "shadow" cutouts of furniture, lamps and people, placed in the background. These outlines provide a ghostly backdrop for the action. Adding to the effect is a surrealist Magritte painting and a doorway that Edward (Taylor) flips around symbolically at one point.
Overall, this show is lengthy, but certainly enjoyable. If you missed it this past weekend, "The Cocktail Party" is also playing Nov. 6, 7 and 8 in Swirnow Theater.
