“The Seagull: Malibu” Entertains at Theatricum Botanicum
By Laurel Busby
News & Information Editor
A new version of The Seagull, Russian playwright Anton Chekhov’s tale of unrequited love and frustrated creativity, premiered at the Theatricum Botanicum on Saturday.
The adaptation, The Seagull: Malibu, which has been transplanted from Russia to 1970s Malibu, delves into the pain of its characters with pointed humor. The plot remains the same as the original, but many of Chekhov’s comic intentions are amplified in director Ellen Geer’s retelling.
Suicidal Constantine, a struggling writer played with intensity and warmth by Christopher Glenn Gilstrap, yearns for the affection of both his distant actress mother, Arkadina, and his former lover, the aspiring actress Nina, who becomes besotted by Arkadina’s paramour, the famous writer Trigger (Rajiv Shah).
Unlike a Shakespearean comedy where mismatched couples eventually find their way, The Seagull: Malibu features love that seems destined never to be returned. As Arkadina, Susan Angelo captures the glowing power of a diva as she manipulates her lover into following in her wake, while Caroline Quigley as Nina shifts from flirtation to passion to despair with ease as she tries to find her path in life.
Meanwhile, the daughter of Constantine’s ailing uncle’s servants, Masha, played with verve and comic flair by Willow Geer, yearns for Constantine, who treats her with disdain. The unhappy couples don’t end there. Masha is beloved by the undervalued schoolteacher Ted (Steven C. Fisher), who she barely tolerates. Meanwhile, her mother, Paulina (Katherine Griffith). has an extramarital affair with Dr. Dore (Daniel Reichert), the calmest character in the play who once jokes, “I have a good life because I haven’t cluttered my life with family.”.
Taking advantage of the unique outdoor theater with its hillside pathways and expansive stage, the actors cavort and often illuminate their characters’ misery with humor as when a drinking Masha says, “Women drink, sometimes in secret. I’m an honest woman. The whole world can watch me.”
The lively portrayals, intense emotions, and involving conversations make the train wreck of these people’s lives imminently watchable and, at times, surprisingly insightful. Beware that some plot points may be challenging for children or sensitive viewers.
The Seagull: Malibu will play through Oct. 5 at Theatricum Botanicum (1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd.) This repertory season also Includes William Shakespeare’s comedies Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, John Galsworthy’s Strife and Alice Childress’ Wine in the Wilderness. The canlendar is here.
For more information: visit theatricum.com or call (310) 455-2322.
Christopher Glenn Gilstrap as Constantine (left) and Caroline Quigley as Nina in The Seagull: Malibu.
