Redmoon Theater Company celebrates virtuosity in a stunning retelling of Anton Chekhov’s brooding comedy “The Seagull.” The company originally staged the show outdoors last summer, but retooled it to accommodate its new indoor setting.
Now mounted in Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s blackbox, Studio Theatre, the ensemble can focus on the intimate setting. Gainfully employing the open stage and making use of the intricate, adroitly-crafted boxlike props, the play achieves a sense of heightened emotion. Both artful and utilitarian, Redmoon’s stunning sets and intricate costuming add to the night’s magic.
“Seagull” is set in Russia at the country estate of Arkadina, a self-inflated diva and aging actress, whose son, Kostya, far eclipses his mother as a theatrical talent. A love triangle develops between Kostya, Nina — a girl who longs for fame but does not return his affections — and Masha, a scorned woman who pines for Kostya. Things get complicated when Arkadina’s latest flame, pretentious writer Trigorin, arrives. Nina fancies him and he rebukes her, destroying her dreams.
But Chekhov’s play is more than just a tale of romantic longing. Desperation and the desire for upward mobility — be it in the realm of the arts — or just in social station, occupy much of the characters’ lives. Kostya, played with a fierce fatalism by Jim Slonina, purveys a sense of fragility that gives the play’s second act a cragged resonance. Vanessa Stalling’s Nina becomes corrupted by her world and Sharon Lanza’s Masha meanders through her dispassionate existence.
Highly stylized, Redmoon’s staging allows the actors to crawl and burrow into boxy alcoves that often deconstruct, opening into tables or chairs. Some of the boxes, supposedly homes, open from the side, allowing an actor to recline inside or reach his hand out the window. The staging facilitates mobility, but relates to the play’s themes since each character must lower himself to accommodate life’s shortcomings. Dreams remain unrealized.
Mark Messing’s minimalist score provides a dreamy backdrop; Messing also takes on a role in the play, portraying Medvedenko, the music teacher, and later, Masha’s husband. Music augments the play’s fury but also calms the highly emotional senses. Redmoon’s staging also employs water with one home featuring sliding fish tank windows.
The play’s opening act may feel chaotic at first and is punctuated by frantic bits of choreography. But Chekhov’s play is not absurd. It just takes a moment to acclimate to the sensory onslaught between the intricate staging and the cavalcade of costumes, wigs and carnival-esque makeup.
Still, “Seagull” remains about human connection. Nina embodies the play’s central motif — that of the seagull seeking solace by a lake. Her inability to find meaning, her perpetual search and the other characters’ failures to achieve their goals might feel hopeless, but you will not leave the theater dejected. Instead, Redmoon’s message is a reminder that inspiration may be found even in minutiae.
