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| L - R Henry Olek and Susan Priver - Photos by Kayte Deioma |
By Joe Straw
A slight ache is not to be confused with a disturbance in the force unless you want it to be.
Dance On Productions in association with Linda Toliver and Gary Guidinger present a slight ache by Harold Pinter and directed by Jack Heller is now playing at the Odyssey Theatre through October 1st, 2023.
Somewhere, long ago, in the late 1950s or early 1960s lived a couple on the outskirts of London in a country home. This couple co-existed somewhat happily. They had almost everything they wanted except complete satisfaction, and one knows that is hard to come by these days.
Their lives have been given away to the pomp and circumstances of the wretchedness and dreariness of daily living. They need something to bring a bite into their existence and on this day, they find it.
We catch Flora (Susan Priver) and Edward (Henry Olek) in the middle of a cherished moment – breakfast. Edward engrossed in his morning paper and Flora wanting so desperately to make a connection that she bangs around her teacup, saucer, her tea pot, and noisily scrapes the burnt crumbs off her beloved toast before slamming it back onto the plate.
Edward is unfettered but ignoring her without the slightest bit of concern.
To break the iceberg that is between them they engage in some small talk both aware, although not mentioning it, there is someone beyond the gate.
“Have you noticed the honeysuckle this morning?” – Flora
“The what?” – Edward
“The Honeysuckle. – Flora
“Honeysuckle? Where?” – Edward
“By the back gate, Edward.” - Flora
And there we have it, in the opening moments of their story, the back gate. It isn’t so much as what flowers are growing around or through the back gate, it is the matter of the person waiting beyond the back gate.
He is the Match Seller (Shelly Kurtz), and he has been waiting there for weeks.
But first there is the matter of a wasp buzzing around the marmalade and the sight ache that gnaws at Edward’s being if not both of their beings.
Harold Pinter, the writer, leaves the door open for any kind of interpretation, the ambiguity explodes out from the page and it’s up to the collaborative effort of all to see how far they want to take it. Originally, this 1959 two-character play was for the radio before it moved to the Arts Theatre in London January 18, 1961as a three-character play.
In Jack Heller’s version, on this night, Edward is a forceful figure using his voice and his physical ways to control his wife Flora and then using that same force against the Match Seller, a silent figure who has no means of verbal communication. This is a comedy but may need more work to accentuate the Pinter pauses and the way it emotionally moves the characters. It’s still too early in the run to know if the actors have fully realized those moments and this becomes particularly apparent when both Edward and Flora are communicating with the Match Seller. They ask the questions of the Match Seller but don’t wait for the answer before satisfactorily answering the question on his behalf. Both Edward and Flora have wild and imaginative ways of looking at the world and their place in the world (however distorted it may be). And they both like to plan, each thinking their plan is better than the other. One suspects that neither adheres to conjugal fidelity in their marriage. Also, Flora is not the submissive being she makes out to be and Edward is not as intelligent, or the important writer he makes of himself. That said, this is a very good production, and when the run settles down, should evolve into a better production capturing the moments that will move the play and the audience as well.
Susan Priver is successful as Flora, a submissive wife who, in the end, wins all the matches. (Pun intended) Slightly nervous, in the beginning, she manages to relax and give an exceptional performance. There is a little more to add to this character. Flora is the smarter of the two, the one with the most imagination (particularly amatory) which gives us a clue as to what she really wants from either of the two men and she isn’t particular in that regard. She goads her husband to recognize his strengths and when that doesn’t work destroys his spirit for possibly a moment.
Henry Olek is Edward, a man who has got something on his mind but refuses to acknowledge it to either himself or his wife. He knows there is a man at the back gate, and he’s been there for some time. It is his wife that moves him in that direction by way of strength, first by having him kill the wasp, secondly by going out into the garden (he doesn’t), putting up the canopy (again he doesn’t), and then finally confronting the man. Instead, he hides in the scullery, looking out a small window, and avoids his wife at every opportunity. (What he is doing in the scullery is opened to the imagination.) He speaks of Africa as though he knows but the continent but in fact those place do not exist (the Membunza Mountains, Katambaloo) all for the sake of sounding superior. And his practice of patriarchy only works when his wife is affected by it but in this version shows little sign of working. Edward is physical and demeans her at times, but it only hurts his wife and doesn’t move her in a satisfying direction, or maybe it does.
Shelly Kurtz
Shelly Kurtz is the Match Seller. He can hear and understand slight commands all with a disquieting peculiarity, but he may not be able to speak. He doesn’t smile either. Dressed in rags he moves about with little or no regard to the person in front of his being. He is arduous in his manner never coming out of the blank stare to react to anything before him. This is a tough role, but Kurtz manages to succeed.
Jeff Rack scenic design works wonders for the Odyssey space. And Christopher Moscatiello’s work for the sound design is also excellent, especially the wasp noise in the pot. Kiff Scholl’s work of the one sheet is very impressive that conveys the disturbance in the force.
Other members of this delightful crew are as follows:
Sarah Dawn Lowry – Stage Manager
Ellen Monocroussos – Lighting Design
Michael Mullen – Costume Design
Amanda Sauter – Scenic Painter
Aubrielle Hvolvoll – Prop Master
Lucy Pollack – Publicity
Tracy Paleo – Social Media
Kyle McConaghy – Photography
Stephanie Rush – Electrician
Reparata Mazzola – Program Design
Parking is free at the Odyssey!
Tickets and reservations: https://odysseytheatre.com/tickets/?eid=102981
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