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| Caitlin O'Connell (top) is Fanny, Sarah Agnew is Sara Muller and Elijah Alexander is her husband, Kurt. (Photo by Kevin Berne) |
Lillian Hellman finished writing “Watch on the
Rhine” in early 1941, shortly after Germany had invaded Poland and shortly
before the United States entered World War II.
It’s rarely produced, but it’s come to Berkeley
Repertory Theatre as what Managing Director Susan Medak calls “utterly of its
time even as it has something meaningful to say about our current moment in
time.”
The action is set late May 1940 in the home of Fanny
Farrelly (Caitlin O’Connell), a wealthy widow who lives near Washington, D.C., and
her middle-aged son, David (Hugh Kennedy), an attorney.
She’s nervously awaiting the arrival of her
daughter, Sara Muller (Sarah Agnew), whom she hasn’t seen during the 20 years
that she has lived in Germany with her German husband, Kurt (Elijah Alexander).
Nor has Fanny seen their three children.
She has two Romanian houseguests, the impoverished
Count Teck De Brancovis (Jonathan Walker) and his American wife, Marthe (Kate
Guentzel) a friend of the Farrellys. Marthe has never loved him, but she has
fallen in love with David.
Kurt is an anti-fascist activist, while Teck is a
German conspirator. Clashes are inevitable. In the end, family ties prevail.
In this co-production with the Guthrie Theater of
Minneapolis, director Lisa Peterson carefully orchestrates the action as the
characters undergo transformations. Perhaps the most dramatic change occurs
with Fanny. She starts sarcastic and autocratic but becomes empathic and loyal
to family despite the risks.
The impressive living room set is by Neil Patel with
lighting by Alexander V. Nichols and period costumes by Raquel Barreto. The
sound and music are by Paul James Prendergast. Aaron Preusse is the fight
director.
While the play is absorbing in its own right, it’s
far more than a period piece. As Artistic Director Tony Taccone says in his
program notes, it “is a testament to (Hellman’s) nuanced grasp of psychology
and her understanding of American politics.”
Running about two and a half hours with one
intermission and a short pause, “Watch on the Rhine” will continue through Jan.
14 in Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St., Berkeley. For tickets and
information, call (510) 647-2949 or visit www.berkeleyrep.org.
