Arthur Miller and Soulpepper seems to be a great combination. They did a great job with Death of a Salesman and now have produced an equally powerfully version of The Price.
The small cast is outstanding. It is hard to choose the best - David Fox as Gregory Solomon was so believable as a 97 year old, charming, wise and funny.
Michael Hanrahan gave us a Victor Franz who carried the production. He is the cop- the realist, and the one who finally realises the price he has paid for the choices he has made, and he is content. Jane Spidell as his wife also comes to realise that her life is the one she has chosen and she would not have chosen otherwise. Stuart Hughes is the succcessful brother who has the most clear understanding of the choices he has made, but he is also the one who does not think he has paid the right price.
Miller lets us know that we each have to decide what price to pay and only we can decide if it was too much.
Soulpepper has certainly recovered from its slump - productions like this make me very glad to have them around!
ReplyDeleteThe powerful play has great rhythm and this cast knew how to use it.
The price you pay for every decision was examined and the fictions you create to justify the decisions.
I think Victor, Esther and Walter all finally realize that the decisions they made flowed naturally from who they are.
The Solomon role is a great one but I think Miller did a high-wire act in including it in this play. I could so easily overwhelm the core theme. But it doesn't.
Very enjoyable; glad we saw it.