Springs Eternal at the Orange Tree

The new season at the Orange Tree started with another trip to the world of Susan Glaspell with Springs Eternal.

There is a story that I do not know here as she was a significant playwright yet this was the world premier of her last play. It was written in 1943 which is when it is set.

America is at war and the stark reality of that sits behind some complex relationships. At the centre of these is Owen, played magnificently by Stuart Fox an Orange Tree regular, with his current and previous wife (who flirts with him), his ex-wife's new husband (who is eloping with a young girl) and Owen's son who is a Conscientious Objector much to his father's shame.

Having set the situation and introduced the characters the play explores the beliefs and feelings of each of them.

It does this at some length and that means some long unnatural speeches by one of the characters while the others just watch.

It is a little static at times, and is never very active, but there is enough in the words and the way that they are delivered by the cast to maintain interest. I only noticed a couple of the audience asleep but that always happens at the Orange Tree and is more a comment on the demographic of the audience than of the play.

In those many words we are given several perspectives on the (then) modern world and how it was changing. Four of the characters are middle-aged, three are young with one in the army and another an objector, and one is elderly (the housekeeper). This gives us views from different ages, genders, politics and classes and makes their conversations confrontational and interesting.

Springs Eternal is a thoughtful play that works well in the round as we are almost in the room with the conversations rather than watching them from distant stalls. It is also the sort of play that the Orange Tree has built its enviable reputation on and this is a worthy addition.

Alison's House at the Orange Tree

Alison's House, previously unknown to me, apparently won Susan Glaspell the 1931 Pulitzer Prize which gives it some pedigree.

However, I do know of other Glaspell plays staged at the Orange Tree, such as Chains of Dew, and that was incentive enough for me.

I am not sure what the incentive was for everybody else but I was pleased to see that the house was packed for the performance.

Alison was a poetess who died eighteen years ago and now the family are preparing to move out of the house for good. This stirs up memories for the various family members and the nature of these memories becomes more obvious and darker as the story unfolds.

Alison, though absent, provides an anchor for the rest of the family as their frailties unfold and we learn of several love-less marriages and the reactions to these (some stayed, some ran).

The story concerns Alison's reputation as a poetess as the centuries tick-over from the 19th to the 20th but the meat of the play, for me at least, is the view we get of fractured relationships and fractured characters.

The staging of the Orange Tree allows you to experience these fractures up close like no other theatre can; I was less than 1/2m away from the old lady when she died in her chair. That was a rather intense moment!

It almost goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, is that the acting was superb and the direction made the most of the Orange Tree's unique arrangement.

Another excellent night out at the Orange Tree. I am so very lucky to have such a reliable treat so close to home.

Chains of Dew at the Orange Tree

Clashes with work trips abroad caused me to miss the last few shows at the Orange Tree in Richmond but normal service was finally resumed this week when I went to see Chains of Dew by Susan Glaspell.

The main theme is about the clash between east coast vivacity and mid-west cosiness in 1920s America and the play brings out both the comedy and the trauma of this conflict.

At the end you find that you have spent most of the evening laughing but you feel as though the story was rather sad and that nobody won but some people lost.

As usual, the play made good use of being staged in the round to engage with the audience. When friends came around to visit we were sitting in the room with them.

Also as usual, the acting was good and, in some cases, excellent. The Guardian review gives credit where credit is due to cast and director and I would like to add my own praise for Katie McGuinness (country wife), on the far right of the picture, who produced a heart-wrenching performance just as she did in Nan last year.