| The Country Girl |
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| Written by Michael Portantiere | |
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The Country Girl By Clifford Odets Directed by Mike Nichols Scenic design by Tim Hatley Costume design by Albert Wolsky Lighting design by Natasha Katz Starring Morgan Freeman, Frances McDormand, and Peter Gallagher Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre thecountrygirlonbroadway.com  Frances McDormand, Morgan Freeman, and Peter Gallagher in THE COUNTRY GIRL; photo by Brigitte Lacombe Best known for its 1954 film version, which starred Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and William Holden, The Country Girl is the overwrought yet dull tale of an alcoholic actor named Frank Elgin, the director who wants to help him make a comeback, and the wife whose selfishness and judgmental attitude undermine Frank at every turn. Think A Star Is Born -- except that here the wife is not an actress, and is cold and bitchy rather than warm and loving. There's nothing wrong with the basic plot, but Odets' dialogue is quaint, his characters unconvincingly drawn. For example, Frank's wife Georgie is highly enigmatic, but in a confounding rather than intriguing way. In the current revival, the play's interent flaws are exacerbated by the woeful miscasting of the two central roles. As Frank, Morgan Freeman is all wrong in at least two respects. First, it makes absolutely no sense for this character to be played by a black actor, especially not in a production that's ultra-realistic in every other respect. On top of that, Freeman is about 30 years too old for the part, and the spectacle of this elderly boozer trying to make a comeback is embarrassing. Equally miscast is Frances McDormand as Georgie; she's also too old for the role, and physically wrong for it as well. If the part is played by an extraordinarily beautiful woman, as it was by Kelly in the film, it's at least somewhat easier to understand why Frank puts up with her treatment of him. McDormand is one of our finest film and stage actresses, but though she's quite attractive, no one has ever suggested that she's extraordinarily beautiful. Perhaps both she and Freeman feel uncomfortable in their assignments, which might explain their lackluster performances. For satisfying characterizations, look to the rest of the cast. Gallagher is spot-on as director Bernie Dodd, displaying a firm grasp of period style and doing his best to make the man's motivations clear. Chip Zien is perfect as producer Phil Cook, and there's fine work from Lucas Caleb Rooney, Anna Camp, Remy Auberjonois, and Joe Roland in various smaller roles. While Lincoln Center Theater's excellent 2006 production of Odets' Awake and Sing! did great honor to the playwright's reputation, this misguided revival of The Country Girl has taken it down a few notches. Given Mike Nichols' cachet, it's easy to understand why Freeman and McDormand signed on, but it's very hard to understand why the director initiated or chose to become involved with this project in the first place. I suppose we should thank Nichols and company for allowing us to see the play and judge it in its historical context, but don't look for The Country Girl to ever again return to Broadway. |
