Theatre Review: A View from the Bridge

Surrounded by the danger and somberness of Red Hook, Arthur Miller created a gripping drama, relating the hardships of working-class Italian immigrants and the tragic consequences of a forbidden love.

The tight community of Italian immigrants serves as the background for one of the most iconic plays in American theatre. Eddie (Richard Baird), a longshoreman, lives with his wife Beatrice (Margot White) and his orphaned 17-year-old niece Catherine (Marie Zolezzi). Eddie is going through a middle age crisis, exacerbated by the bedroom issues with his wife and the disturbing sexual attraction towards his niece. As a good Italian man, he welcomes Beatrice’s cousins Marco (Lowell Byers) and Rodolpho (Coby Rogers). But the flirting between Catherine and Rodolpho triggers Eddie’s rage, building tension and conflict by the day.

Alfieri (Frank Corrado), a lawyer serving as a narrator in the play, tries to convince Eddie to get Catherine out of his mind and bless her relationship with Rodolpho. Eddie, however, is reaching the point of no return, his eyes like tunnels, lost in his madness. A presage of an unstoppable tragedy.

The illusions of the first love, the honorability within a tight community, and the hopes of a new life in America are shattered by Eddie’s perception of a challenge to his authority and his inability to control his emotions. The characters soon find out that these issues will become a hindrance to their happiness and a rupture of their mutual trust.

On stage, the cast and the experienced direction of David Ellenstein create a pulsating staging that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Ellenstein builds up the suspense scene after scene, invigorating the action to reach a dynamic and captivating climax. The actors explore the layers of emotions and conflicts that make this play such a rich ground on themes of sexuality, migrants experience, and the complexities of human relations.

At the epicenter of this memorable production is Richard Bair. His portrayal of Eddie is electrifying. Baird excels in exteriorizing the agony and devastation of a man who is about to violate the sacrosanct omertà, destroying everything and everyone around him, blinded by his uncontrollable passion. Baird goes all in, achieving a triumphant presentation, elating an audience absorbed by his riveting performance.

The lighting with the blue hues and the brownish tones of the set design highlight the intensity and roughness of life on the waterfront, an accurate depiction of the hardships of immigrants and their efforts to survive in New York in the 1950s.

This production succeeds in capturing the emotional distress of a character falling prey to his own demons, risking his reputation, his family, and his place in the world.

A View from the Bridge

Laguna Playhouse
606 Laguna Canyon Rd. Laguna Beach, CA

Runs: Sunday, November 3 – Sunday, November 17, 2024
Wednesdays at 7:30pm; Thursdays at 2:00pm and 7:30pm; Fridays at 7:30pm;
Saturdays at 2:00pm & 7:30pm; Sundays at 1:00pm & 5:30pm.
There will be no performance on Sunday, November 3 at 1:00pm or Sunday,
November 17 at 5:30pm.
There will be a post-show talkback following the Friday, November 8
performance.

Ticketslagunaplayhouse.com

Written by Arthur Miller. Directed by David Ellenstein.

Cast: Richard Baird, Lowell Byers, Frank Corrado, Steve Froehlich, Coby Rogers, Matthew Salazar-Thompson, Margot White, and Marie Zolezzi.

Creative team: Scenic design by Marty Burnett; lighting design by Matthew Novotny; sound design by Ian Scot; costume design by Elisa Benzoni; hair and wigs design by Peter Herman; props design by Kevin Williams; fight coordinator is Christopher M. Williams. The Production Stage Manager is Vernon Willet.

Theatre Review: A View from the Bridge

Ruskin Group Theatre presents A View from the Bridge. Written by Arthur Miller. Directed by Mike Reilly. Produced by John Ruskin and Michael Myers.

The political turmoil that proceeded WWII, the abolition of the monarchy, the early establishment of the republic, and an Italian economy in ruins, fomented a massive immigration of Italians to the US during the 1950s. More than 600,000 Italian immigrants, many of them from the impoverished south, entered the United States, mainly through the ports of New York. For some dockyard owners, this meant cheap labor, as some of these immigrants had to work as longshoremen to pay the human traffickers that brought them to the US illegally. These immigrants usually stayed in the homes of fellow Italians, whether family members or people from their own native villages, creating thriving Italian communities where they supported each other.

Arthur Miller used these conditions as the background for his critically acclaimed play A view from the Bridge. The story is narrated by Alfieri (Sal Viscuso), raised in Italy and now working as an American lawyer. Eddie (Ray Abruzzo) lives with his wife Beatrice (Kim Chase) and his orphaned niece Catherine (Aurora Leonard). The three leave in an Italian community in Brooklyn, New York, where Eddie works on the docks. Beatrice is a housewife and 17-year-old Catherine goes to school. Soon after, Beatrice’s young cousins Marco (Jesse Janzen) and Rodolpho (Brandon Lill) arrive from Italy, fleeing poverty and the lack of job opportunities in Sicily. In the case of Marco, he is coming to the the US to send money to his wife, who is caring for their sick child. Both Marco and Rodolpho come to the US illegally. Catherine and Rodolpho fall in love, causing Eddie’s rage, as he has developed a secret sexual desire for Catherine. From there, everything goes downhill.  

This play captures two critical societal changes in America during the post war booms. One is the number of women entering the workforce after WWII, shifting the power balance and the family dynamics, where the masculine figure was no longer the only financial support in the household. By finding a job as a stenographer, Catherine represents that new reality, somehow challenging Eddie’s position as the only provider for the family. He initially objects to the idea, but is ultimately persuaded by Beatrice to allow Catherine to accept the job. 

The second change observed in the play is the image of the new man, more sensitive and less rigid, represented by Rodolpho, a guy who is outgoing, likes to sing, and dresses with a sense of fashion, characteristics that were considered more feminine at the time, but which captured Catherine’s attention since the very beginning. That “new man” challenged the traditional image of the alpha male and triggered Eddie’s jealousy to the point of trying to convince Catherine that Rodolpho was gay, not suitable for her. In reality, Eddie is sensing that he is a symbol of failing masculinity, losing interest in his wife, and being consumed by his inappropriate attraction to his niece. He is resisting the change of times and refuses to accept that his figure is being replaced by a new generation of men, represented by Marco, but specially by Rodolpho. 

As for the Alfieri, he tries to be the voice of reason, advising Eddie to change his ways. However, Alfieri knows that Eddie is beyond the point of no return, like a train going at full speed, about to cause a wreck, but unable to stop it.

Mike Reilly pays attention to fine details to make this production a memorable staging of such an iconic play. The blocking divides the stage in two sections, the family’s house in one and the streets and Alfieri’s office in the other, making the scenic design and the lighting more versatile. Four creative elements contribute to immerse the audience into the story. The chiaroscuro lighting by Edward Salas recreates the unnerving danger of both the streets and the main character, as if warning the audience of an impending tragedy. Salas also does the sound design, using a background music that is perfect for the film noir nature of the play. The scenic design by Stephanie Kerley Schwartz also adds to the overall feel of the story, creating a dramatic contrast in textures and colors. Michael Mullen‘s costumes offer details of the lives and traits of each character, demonstrating the attention to details of the director.    

The selection of actors is another reason to see this production. Abruzzo’s projection on stage is commanding and magnetic. The transition from protective father figure to a man fully consumed in his own tragedy is a performance to be remembered. Chase, Leonard, Lill, Janzen, and Viscuso, all turn Miller’s characters into vivid representations of the symbols and concepts that the playwright wanted to portray in this masterpiece. The outstanding ovation at the end of the play is a reflection of their moving performances. This production elevates the significance and poignancy of Arthur Miller, one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century.      

A View from the Bridge

Ruskin Group Theatre
3000 Airport Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90405
 
Aug 18 – Oct 8, 2023
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM. Sundays at 2 PM.
 
 
Written by Arthur Miller. Directed by Mike Reilley. Starring: Ray Abruzzo, Kim Chase, Aurora Leonard, Brandon Lill, Jesse Janzen, Sal Viscuso, Kevin Alain, Jamie Daniels, Aaron Marshall, Nicole Millar, and Jeff Prater. Produced by John Ruskin and Michael Myers. Presented by Ruskin Group Theatre. Creative team: Stephanie Kerley Schwartz (Scenic Design), Edward Salas (Lighting and Sound Design), Michael Mullen (Costume Design), Mary Unruh (Dialect & Speech Coach), Paul Ruddy (Casting), and Nicole Millar (Stage Manager).