Passion, fear, love, weakness, lust, self-destruction and, ultimately, death: We never tire of watching these human emotions played out, from classic Shakespeare plays to the soap operas and reality TV to which we are so addicted.
When "Survivor 47: The Moon" and "Swiss Idol: The Hunt for the Yodel" become too much to handle, try some classic American theater drama. The legendary Tennessee Williams is known for crafting drama in which flawed characters struggle against personal weaknesses and one another to find peace in their lives or redemption from evil.
The Washington Shakespeare Company is presenting one of Williams' less familiar plays, "The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore," in which Flora Goforth (Annie Houston), a rich old woman, struggles against the reality that her death is just around the corner. She deludes herself, believing she only has allergies and bad nerves, despite living solely on pills and injections. She is a ghost of the woman she once was: a wealthy, oft-remarried, world-traveling diva who recounts her memories day and night as they are transcribed into her memoirs.
But her opulent lifestyle is interrupted by mobile maker Christopher Flanders (Hugh T. Owen), whose latest creation is called "The World is a Wheel in a Great Big Gambling Casino." He is a professional houseguest whose nickname is "The Angel Of Death." He has a habit of showing up at the homes of old rich ladies before their deaths. These two characters are naturally opposed, artist and benefactor, yet find common ground on topics of family, loneliness, lust and love.
The audience is brought into the scene immediately, immersed in the middle of a cliffside villa, as the seating wraps around three sides of the thrust stage. However, the brilliant, simplistic staging does not rescue the large swaths of dialogue that Williams loves having his characters exchange. This can be quite dull if the themes that are subtly woven into the blanket of text are not teased out and brought to life. There are threads of energy, but only the ones clearly marked in the text have been brought out passionately, leaving the conflict to slowly drift for large chunks of the time.
The Washington Shakespeare Company does an excellent and creative job of adapting this rare and dense fairy tale. There are great highlights, particularly Suzanne Richards as the Witch of Capri, and the clever staging, such as the use of Kabuki stage assistance to set the scene and carry the mood along. Williams himself is included as a character (Steve Wilhite), who introduces the production and comments throughout on literary devices and stage direction, as if he were directing a rehearsal.
The Washington Shakespeare Company's production of Tennessee Williams' "The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore" is playing through April 3 at the Clark Street Playhouse, located five blocks north of the Crystal City Metro. For tickets, call (703) 418-4808.
