Imagine a comedy that is set on three consecutive Christmas Eves, in three different houses with three couples drinking and partying. Then set up the middle act with a woman trying to gas, hang, poison, electrocute and defenestrate herself, only for each suicide attempt to be misinterpreted by guests who variously think she wants her oven cleaned, her light-flex mended or whatever.
It’s Absurd Person Singular and it’s dark, it’s hilarious and it’s coming to Barrington Stage with a great cast.
Sidney played by Robert Petkoff
A contractor eager for social and professional advancement, Sidney will do anything to impress his perceived superiors–at the expense of his dignity and marriage. Sidney is socially inept, and shares that innocence with his wife, keeping their marriage together. As the play progresses, he becomes wealthier and wealthier, until eventually the friends he was once desperate to impress are now courting him as their own fortunes sink lower and lower.
By the final act success has transformed Sidney’s innocence into something approaching macabre sadism: in the earlier acts, the other couples view him with indulgent contempt and tolerate his childishness, but as the play progresses and he acquires money and power, they find themselves compelled to take him much more seriously, until self-preservation dictates they play along with his games.
Jane played by Julia Coffey
Jane is the most sympathetic character in this piece. Sidney’s loyal wife, she’s not much brighter than he is, but she’s equally eager to please.
Unlike Marion and Eva, she also has a knack for the housework in which she takes refuge from the complexity and difficulty of the world.
She takes most of her social cues from her husband and would do almost anything to help him succeed, but isn’t motivated by greed or social standing: she just wants a comfortable living and a happy family.
Geoffrey played by Christopher Innvar
An architect by trade, Geoffrey is initially on the way up, only to fall from grace after a design fails and collapses between the second and third acts. A confident man and something of a Jack-the-Lad, he has many casual affairs and could be said to flaunt it.
His indifference towards his wife Eva may have lead to her addiction to anti-depressents, and even to cause her suicide attempts in the second act.
However, by the third act, he is an utterly broken man: his confidence and charisma have been dashed by his career grinding to a halt, and the prospect of Sidney being the last man on earth willing to hire him doesn’t thrill him very much, either.
Eva played by Finnerty Steeves
Geoffrey’s wife. Eva’s appearance in the first act is brief and whimsical, establishing only her addiction to anti-depressants and her difficulties with her husband Geoffrey. She comes into her own in the second act, as a very depressed Eva tries repeatedly to kill herself, growing more and more desperate to end it all even as the other characters prevent her from doing so. By the third act she has recovered, dispensed with her addiction to pain-killers, and appears to be teetotal (or at least a much lighter drinker, refusing alcohol even though she’s not driving).
She has also taken control of her relationship with Geoffrey, setting the course for his business and forcing him into situations he has typically charmed his way out of but which are now unavoidable. By the end of the play she is in perhaps the best position, being in control of her life and her relationship, neither warped by success nor embittered by failure, though she clearly has many practical challenges to overcome.
Ronald played by Graeme Malcolm
An aging banker, Ronald takes pride in his work and enjoys the finer things in life. More conservative than the other characters, he is wry and sardonic. Initially both indulgent and disdainful of Sidney and Jane–although casually admiring Geoffrey–he is something of a side show in the second act and by the third act is clearly in severe financial trouble, unable to afford even to heat his house.
Although he tries to maintain a facade of cheerful aristocratic bluster, his nerves show through, and he is forced to submit to Sidney as the holder of a large business account in Ronald’s bank. (In fact, it is implied that Sidney is Ronald’s only remaining significant client.)
Marion played by Hnny Russell
Ronald’s second wife is charming though snobbish and deeply eccentric.
As the play advances more and more of her eccentricities are attributed to alcoholism, climaxing in her thoroughly drunk presence in the third act.
Her main role in the play is to reflect and magnify the position of the taciturn Ronald, making his path from polite disdain of Sidney to impoverished failure more clearly elucidated than Ronald’s naturally reserved personality would allow.
Here are the specifics from their press release: Barrington Stage Company, under the leadership of Julianne Boyd Artistic Director and Richard M. Parison, Jr. Producing Director, continues the 2010 Mainstage season with Alan Ayckbourn’s social-climbing comedy Absurd Person Singular, with performances beginning August 12 and running through August 29. Opening Night is August 15 at 5:00pm.
A musical chairs comedy of social mobility, Absurd Person Singular centers on three British couples, three kitchens, on three successive Christmas Eves. Director Jesse Berger (NY’s Red Bull Theater Company Artistic Director) returns to BSC, having directed last summer’s hit production of Sleuth.
The cast features Julia Coffey (Off-Broadway: The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd) as Jane, Christopher Innvar (BSC: The Whipping Man, director; Streetcar, Private Lives) as Geoffrey, Graeme Malcolm (Broadway: Equus, Translations) as Ronald, Robert Petkoff (Broadway: Ragtime, Fiddler on the Roof) as Sidney, Henny Russell (Broadway: The Royal Family) as Marion, and Finnerty Steeves (BSC: Wonder of the World; Off-Broadway: Almost, Maine) as Eva.
A 2010 Tony Award Winner for Lifetime Achievement and the author of over 70 plays – Absurd Person Singular marks the first Alan Ayckbourn play presented at Barrington Stage Company. One of the most prolific and widely performed playwrights of our time Ayckbourn is the author of The Norman Conquests, Bedroom Farce, Woman in Mind, House & Garden, and many more.
The creative team for Absurd Person Singular includes Jo Winiarski (set design), Sara Jean Tosetti (costume design), Peter West (lighting design) and Brad Berridge (sound design). Kristen van Gindhoven is assistant director. Renee Lutz is the production stage manager.
The original Broadway run of Absurd Person Singular played 591 performances at the Music Box, and earned Tony Award nominations for cast members Larry Blyden ( Sidney ), Geraldine Page ( Marion ) and Carole Shelley (Jane). It also starred Sandy Dennis (Eva), Richard Kiley (Ronald) and Tony Roberts (Geoffrey). Eric Thompson directed.
Performances and tickets
Performances are from August 12-29 every Tuesday and Wednesday at 7pm, Thursday through Saturday at 8pm, Friday matinees at 2pm, and Sunday at 5pm at BSC Mainstage, 30 Union St., Pittsfield. Additional matinee performance on Wednesday, August 25 at 2pm. Opening Night: Sun., August 15 at 5:00pm. Tickets: $15-$56. Seniors: $35 all matinees. Pay What You Can Night for 35 year olds and younger: Fri., August 20 at 8:00pm. Barrington Stage is fully-accessible, including wheelchair accessibility and assisted listening devices at every performance. Accessible seating is available by reservation. For ticket information, call 413-236-8888, stop by the BSC Box Office at 30 Union Street , or visit www.barringtonstageco.org.
