Sorry for the immediate diversion, (The June 1, 2008 mix opens with a self-aware and appropriately titled number. 1. “Confessions of an A.D.D.D.” – The Coral) but contrary to what the title of this post might indicate, Sondheim’s masterwork will not be discussed in the following discourse. No, we waited until its closing weekend to see Sunday in the Park with George, so there are a few more shows to be considered before that one. Today’s subject is about an actual Sunday spent in New York, and during its recounting we will discuss the importance of the character Georgie. Indeed, the show we saw that Sunday – Georgie’s show – is something of an enigma in our research. In other words, it’s not easy to answer a question that we have posited to many other shows we saw on Broadway. Unlike some other productions, THE COUNTRY GIRL had trouble justifying its own seemingly outmoded existence in the contemporary season. What was a play like that doing on Broadway in 2008?**the alarm beeps**
Saturday was fun, but drawn-out and I am groggy getting out of my hotel sanctuary (Self explanatory. 2. “Never As Tired As When I’m Waking Up” – LCD Soundsystem). Yet, there I was, free to do what I wanted in the big city until our matinee. Such unbridled independence had been a stranger to me until that Sunday morning. But for some reason, freedom really hit me: I was completely on my own. Okay, I’ve been my own man in college for two years already, but even then I’ve been somewhat contained in a controlled environment, surrounded by tons of people like myself. Yet pushing through the glass doors of the hotel lobby and walking out into the city’s morning air, I hadn’t exactly stepped out into fraternity row. In the shadow of the towering concrete structures, I threw on some headphones and embarked towards the subway. After taking a quick detour to pick up two student tickets for the afternoon performance at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater,
I was getting excited, ready to put the best parts of the city in my mental back pocket. (The soundtrack for my headphones throughout my early morning journey in Manhattan consisted mainly of middle school favorites. Sometimes you need to have something familiar when you’re looking at something new. 3. “Semi-Charmed Life” – Third Eye Blind)It would be sadly mundane to relay every detail of my adventures in and around NYU, Washington Square Park, East & West Village, and 5th Avenue. Not that the excursion lacked in fun and not that it even felt mundane at all, but my adventures do not lend themselves to any anecdotal worthy events. Basically, it was a lot of walking, observing and, well, smiling. I simply had a blast; it was a morning of people watching, building looking, and window shopping. The day was sunny, the air was warm, and I was, for lack of a more descriptive word, happy. Noteworthy occurrences: a great breakfast from some diner in the teens, a quick stroll through Union Station, and accidentally tripping over a bum on my walk back to Midtown (Catchy irony is always good in a mix. 4. “The Harrowing Adventures Of…” – Tokyo Police Club).
**it’s time for the show**
Between David and me, the initial excitement for The Country Girl was, at best, minimal. The show had received mediocre reviews from the critics, and the subject matter – the drama of the alcoholic – seemed less than interesting, especially for David. Being, at this point, relatively uneducated in the realm of Clifford Odets, my interest in the show was probably the same as that of any other theatergoing tourist or layman. It boiled down to one shallow fact: Morgan Freeman was the star. Today, however, the situation is quite the opposite. I would humbly insist that I have an extensive knowledge concerning early 1950s Clifford Odets and all things The Country Girl. Moreover, our faint awareness of the show has grown into an academic fascination with its history and narrative, resulting in hours of research and discussion. I, having now read the original play, absorbed a few essays, seen the 2008 production, and watched the 1954 movie adaptation, now have a keen appreciation for every nuance this intriguing story offers (Foreshadowing the angst and anguish of the relationship-trying, chemical drama to come, jangling guitars and woes of a cracking voice burst into the room. 5. “I Lost You” – The Walkmen). This was not the case when David and I met in front of the Jacobs Theater that Sunday afternoon.The space inside the theater was intimate. Evidently, our Sunday show was not to be a colossal production, full of visually fulfilling stage effects in the vein of the previous night’s South Pacific, and accordingly, the set was minimal. The setup represented that of a gloomy New York theater stage with only a table and a few chairs. Remember, we are already in a New York theater, and the stage having been purposefully arranged as an empty stage itself made for an interesting situation. As I later found out, this followed the scripted instructions of Mr. Odets precisely, as there too was a solitary drab lamp hanging over this bare “staging of a stage” as per the playwright’s direction. Clifford Odets, however, was not merely the writer, but the director of the original production as well, and in this most recent version, very little deviates from the creator’s intentions (with one major exception of course).
As one might guess, the arrangement already hinted at the meta nature of The Country Girl. A show about putting on a show (The title track is pretty self-aware. 6. “Title Track” – Okkervil River), the theatrical process is performed in front of an audience that would, in the context of the play, be a vacant theater, resulting in a self-referential dynamic throughout the work. Arguably, a theater piece about the theater might seem like a specifically narrow subject matter, perhaps only appealing to those directly involved with, or having a developed interest in, the process of the drama. To come full circle, the particularity of the subject matter and the subsequent awareness in the audience about their own participation in these thematics might make The Country Girl seem like a frustrating choice to revive for 2008. Whereas the theater was one of the main mediums for entertainment in 1950, these days it is popularly perceived as a somewhat archaic custom preserved by those who consider themselves cultured and by those who care deeply about the art of performance… and flighty tourists. The ideal target audience being too much of a niche, The Country Girl as a theater piece will always be faced with the task of having to overcome its context to somehow resonate with a more generic and contemporary audience.
Yes, this is a show that resounds historically. The play takes place in the fifties in more ways than one. A lush is the lead character (“Come on chemicaaaals.” 7. “Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse” – Of Montreal), which was a popular dramatic device at the time. The language is antiquated, the set is designed for the period, and everyone smokes. Interpersonal interactions are kept politely distant, the clothes are purposefully modest, and the final decision of “the country girl” – Georgie’s return to her husband’s side – might have been the opposite if the play were to take place today, considering the stringent strides and trends of the feminist movement. Perhaps the choice to perform The Country Girl in 2008 was an attempt at making Clifford Odets relevant in the twenty-first century – a response to the frequent accusation of being a period writer. Mr. Odets is not often lauded as being a generationally transcended playwright, and reasonably so. Certainly, The Country Girl is not overtly modern or funny. There is neither a hot-button controversy nor profusely foul language. It is not a musical in any sense of the word. Political commentary is absent, the only drug is alcohol, and nobody is out-of-the-closet gay. No puppets of any kind are used; there are no cool, hip references; violence only happens accidentally (during an offstage performance on an imagined stage); and finally, I am absolutely certain that there is neither nudity nor onstage sex. Again, how does The Country Girl fit onto today’s Great White Way?Director Mike Nichols did make one glaringly modern decision, and that was to cast Morgan Freeman in the traditionally white role of the down-on-his-luck, alcoholic actor, Frank Elgin. (It’s a great song and a fitting band name. 8. “Definition” – Black Star) That mimicked the similar directorial decision of Debbie Allen to cast Tennessee William’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with all black actors during the same Broadway season. In the most generalized way, a historically marginalized group, such as African Americans, are often limited to stereotypical and type-cast roles, or are given a theatrical vehicle meant to deal with group specific issues in which race becomes central (see: Thurgood). In other words, on some level every time a Black person is involved on the stage, race enters into the conversation. In The Country Girl, by bringing the topic of race into a racially unmotivated piece, Mr. Nichols has effectively conjured the dichotomy of controversial politics and harmonious assimilation. The incorporation of Morgan Freeman did not, on a narrative level, impact the show racially. The controversy obviously lies in the casting decision on paper and outside of the performance, which again, ironically has no effect on the story. There was a raceless quality to the piece. Still the choice of Mr. Freeman intentionally raised an important question.
So why cast a Black man in a white role? The answer might be as simple as Mr. Nichols felt he could. With his decision, the director has provided us with a facet of universality to Mr. Odets’s play in that the leading part is not limited to the constraints of racial parameters. It also proved that what would have once been an unthinkable option was now a reality in 2008 – a commentary on the steps society has taken to marginalize, not a particular race, but the concern of race itself. The irony is of course, that I am still discussing race; the conversation continues. Thus, Odets has become updated for the contemporary. This was the one truly fresh spin for the revived play. But if Mike Nichols was aiming for shock value, he sorely missed.The fact of the matter is that Morgan Freeman is a versatile actor capable of extraordinary performances. (Amidst the swirling synths and poppy rhythms it hits you – this is a love song about acting. How could anyone pass this track up? 9. “For the Actor” – Mates of State) The same can be said of Frances McDormand, who played Georgie, and Peter Gallagher, who played Bernie. This love-triangle drama was a terrific opportunity for three great leading actors to put on a technically stunning theater performance. There is no better story to highlight the quality of acting when the play one is doing happens to be about putting on a play. The Country Girl is a perfect piece for those who care about theater, it being about those who care about theater themselves. Given that, combined with the prestige of the three stars, expectations, I think, were high. Many of the negative reviews therefore found fault in the acting, citing almost-called in performances that left one unmoved for the troubles of Frank Elgin and company. “Sure, the play reads like a relic,” Ben Brantly of The New York Times said, “yet passion… never makes an appearance here.” Perhaps by virtue of taste or bias, I disagree. Everyone on that stage was engaging, and they had to be, in order to keep you watching the archaic occurrences. Granted, I was confused and somewhat frustrated with Georgie (Frances McDermott) after the first act, her motivations and intentions being so unclear at that point. But my temporary complaint was more symptomatic of the writing. At the curtain’s close however, I was singing a different tune. Little did I know how much of the narrative’s significance revolved around the revealingly complex character of Georgie.
There was a surprisingly substantial amount of thematic grout to satisfy a contemporary audience, but nothing reverberated like the nuanced struggle of the leading woman, our country girl, Georgie. While the play is littered with the hardships of various identifiable relationships – Frank and his alcohol, Bernie and his show, Frank and his character, Bernie and Frank, Frank and the world, success and everyone involved – Georgie’s side of her relationship to Frank and all which that entailed is the stuff of genius. Indeed, one finds himself or herself concerned less with the frailty of Frank and his empty lies, and more with how Georgie factors into his mendacity (In this murky backbeat ridden cut, come lyrics that capture the anguish of our country girl. 10. “Like Spinning Plates” – Radiohead). The audience for the first half of the play is about as knowledgeable about the reality of Frank and Georgie’s relationship as Bernie. We are duped into believing that Georgie is the controlling, unstable bitch that Frank half-heartedly suggests she is, however kindly.
Yet, as it turns out, she is the linchpin of the play – the strong leading woman, who sacrificed her sexuality years ago out of a naïve love, enforcing her decision in the face of subsequent necessity. As David pointed out, the argument that Georgie represents a man’s ideal woman could even be made. While the casting of the role is usually not someone considered extremely attractive, the mothering and loyal traits are pronounced, which attracts Bernie, and, one would assume, it also attracted Frank. Now, the suicidal Frank depends on Georgie not only for his livelihood but for his life, which has drained her of her own. Bernie, who represents her chance to be seen as a woman again, treats Georgie like dirt and then also relies on her for a livelihood of his own – for the success of his play and his leading man.
We enter into her story at a moment where she is beginning to find the burden unbearable. Georgie is the tragically strong figure packing up to leave, and unpacking for the slightest hope of something better, still lamenting, “I haven’t felt like a woman in ten years.” (This would totally be her song – gets the struggle down perfectly. 11. “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” – Led Zeppelin) It is her sexual vacancy that compels her angst, making Georgie a trapped woman. All she wants is independence and freedom from having to worry about her child of a husband. She became a virtual widow who lost her husband in exchange for an imprisoning parasite. It’s not Frank that holds Goergie back, but it is her own compassionate, perhaps unwilling love (“twice left and twice returned”) that is the parasite within her, courageously maintaining the shell of a lost man: “Can you stand him on his feet? Because that’s where all my prayers have gone.” The burden has drained her youthful beauty, her economic wellbeing, and her independent spirit. Frank’s inability to believe in himself has forced Georgie to believe for him, and it has cost her. The fact that the virtue of love is the flaw of this hampered female soul makes Georgie simply enthralling.
Yet, she does not come off as the victim: Georgie is insistent and strong willed. Her fortitude won’t let her become a beaten woman: “I married you for happiness and I will leave you for the same reason.” Bernie sums it up in the final scene, “You’re impertinent, madam, and steadfast, and loyal… and reliable.” Yes, it’s her hope for a better future for herself and for Frank, despite all, that has kept her so burdened, and which in a beautifully poetic moment, continues to bind her to her love and care for Frank – in the end, is her man resurrected? No, but she maintains her steadfast loyalty with renewed hope, which may just be saying that there is true love beneath it all, or so believes the romantic in me.
Another reason the show made sense in 2008 was its star power. (So what if it doesn’t fit the soundscape of the mix? 12. “Overnight Celebrity” – Twista feat. Kanye West) Freeman, McDormand, and Gallagher are of a celebrity status that today attracts producers and theatergoers alike, which may have eclipsed the presence of the play itself. While perhaps The Country Girl without its famous role-fillers might not merit a place in contemporary Broadway, it should. One of the premises of the show is the importance of theater, and in the days of declining ticket numbers, seeing a show that simply reminds you of its art form’s significance should always be welcome. The play was, after all, a return to theater for almost everyone involved. Clifford Odets came back to the medium following a few years in Hollywood. The character Frank Elgin reunited with the stage for the first time since he lost fame and fortune. Morgan Freeman returned to theater having taken the world of cinema by storm. Peter Gallagher, fresh off his television run, was given a chance to shine in front of a live audience.
One Special moment came after the curtain call. Apparently, our Sunday show happened to be on none other than Morgan Freeman’s birthday. The applause of the standing ovation having died down, Peter Gallagher addressed the audience, announcing that both Mr. Freeman’s and the curtain operator’s birthday was that day, and everyone in the theater broke into “Happy Birthday.” (Had to. 13. “Birthday” – The Beatles) It was quite the spectacle, and probably a once in a lifetime occurrence. The moment united audience and cast in a way I have yet to see on Broadway.
The Country Girl wet our intellectual palettes. The show was great and has kept us working up even until now. Well, Sunday ended with a solid meal and some rest, with no idea of how invested we'd become in the show we had seen some hours ago. Monday will be quite different.1. “Confessions of an A.D.D.D.” – The Coral
2. “Never As Tired As When I’m Waking Up” – LCD Soundsystem
3. “Semi-Charmed Life” – Third Eye Blind
4. “The Harrowing Adventures Of…” – Tokyo Police Club
5. “I Lost You” – The Walkmen
6. “Title Track” – Okkervil River
7. “Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse” – Of Montreal
8. “Definition” – Black Star
9. “For the Actor” – Mates of State
10. “Like Spinning Plates” – Radiohead
11. “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” – Led Zeppelin
12. “Overnight Celebrity” – Twista feat. Kanye West
13. “Birthday” – The Beatles
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