THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES disregards comedy in tragicomedy

THEATRE: Walter Kerr Theatre, New York

DATE: 09-05-2011

TIME: 19:30

WITH: Ben Stiller, Edie Falco, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Thomas Sadoski, Mary Beth Hurt, Christopher Abbott, Halley Feiffer, Susan Bennett & Alison Pill.

DIRECTOR: David Cromer

"The House of Blue Leaves" (1966) is John Guare’s tragicomic masterpiece on America’s obsession with celebrity. David Cromer’s new production effectively conveys the tragedy, but is less successful in the laugh department. In order for this wonderful play to fully take flight one needs a fine balance between tragedy and comedy. This is sadly not achieved, despite an amazing ensemble led by Ben Stiller, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Edie Falco. 

 Ben Stiller, Edie Falco & Jennifer Jason Leigh

The story is set in an apartment in Queens in 1965, around the time of the pope's visit. Ben Stiller plays Artie Shaugnessy, a zookeeper, who dreams of becoming a successful Hollywood songwriter. From the outset it is clear that Artie is a talent less hack and it is painful to hear Stiller perform Artie's awful songs with utter conviction of their brilliance. The glamour of the pope’s visit, who is a celebrity too of course, makes the characters believe that they can escape their bleak every day existence. 

Ben Stiller (There's Something About Mary, The Royal Tenenbaums) is a fine Artie. He has a simmering darkness underneath his naturally goofy veneer, which is fascinating to watch. It also makes the violent finale absolutely believable. If only Cromer (Our Town) had encouraged Stiller not to suppress his comic instincts.

The other two major characters are Artie’s wife Bananas (Edie Falco) and his mistress Bunny (Jennifer Jason Leigh). The names should give an indication of the play’s crazy humour, although the excellent actresses, like Stiller, have been directed to zoom in on tragedy. Jason Leigh (Last Exit to Brooklyn, Single White Female) has turned Bunny into an obnoxious and ruthless woman, who seeks fame at any cost. Leigh’s few comic moments frequently are the result of her dissing poor Bananas, whom she desperately wants out of the way. 

Edie Faclo (The Sopranos, Nurse Jackie) plays Bananas as a self-medicated desperate housewife seeking refuge from the cold and cruel world. Bananas is the personification of the stinging tragedy and madness of the piece and the incredible Falco makes you feel all the hurt that she is trying to escape. When she is on stage all eyes automatically focus on her grieve stricken face. Maybe that is why Cromer has frequently (and irritatingly) directed Falco with her back to the audience. Even so, she is the only who was nominated for a Tony.

Brian MacDevitt’s dark lighting reflects Cromer’s focus on tragedy, while Scott Pask’s set (also designed the award-winning set of The Book of Mormon) is a much more successful blend of fantasy and reality. At first glance the apartment seems very realistic – it even includes a huge roof - but a closer look reveals skewered angles and gaps in the floor. Most eye catching is probably the beautifully surreal backdrop, an impressionistic sky resembling a rumpled sheet. When its bleak colour changes into blue near the end it is truly magical.

 Stiller, Jason Leigh & Thomas Sadoski

Artie’s son (the excellent Christopher Abbott) is probably the play’s most destructive nutcase with an unhealthy hunger to be noticed. When his plan to bomb the pope goes awry, however, it somehow brings Bananas back to earth. A suddenly lucid Falco, appearing in a stunning blue dress, starts to tell it like it is. She even observes that Artie’s new song is very similar to Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. At this point Artie cannot handle the truth and Bananas rebirth ends on a very dark note that really packs a punch.

If only Cromer had as good a handle on the comedy as he has on the tragedy. When aggressive nuns invade Artie’s apartment in the second act things suddenly spring to live, but soon enough they too are dragged into Cromer’s dark abyss. Disregarding the surreal comedy probably was not the wisest decision. Even so I was glad to finally see a production of this great play and have Guare’s wonderful language spoken and acted by such talented actors. If only they had been allowed to tap into their comic talents.... What a production that would have been.