Theater Review by Ron Fassler . . . .
Konstantin Stanislavski is often referred to as the father of modern acting, the method that phased out old-school actors of the 19th century and sent them kicking and screaming into the 20th. One of his most prominent dictums was the necessity of discovering and accomplishing, mostly through relaxation, real talking, and behavior in a scene. When I was deep into my conservatory acting training as a college student this was the ultimate goal. And when it is achieved it not only feels great but allows an audience in, turning what you’re experiencing onstage into a shared experience. Honestly, it’s why those who attend live theater on a regular basis, or even on a semi-regular one, love it so much. When a play makes you feel you’re a fly on the wall, experiencing real things happening in real-time, it can be transcendent.
That effect is on display for the entirety of the more than three-hour running time of David Adjmi’s Stereophonic, which has opened in a Broadway production with its entire cast and creative team intact from off-Broadway, where it opened at Playwrights Horizons last October. In Daniel Aukin’s sensitive and beautifully staged transfer, we are treated to a play of remarkable emotional complexity in which backstory is minimal and we are thrust into the here and now of a time in the maturity (and immaturity) of a rock group recording an album. On David Zinn’s awesome design of a 1970s recording studio, this is an immersive dive into a drama (with loads of comedy) about the art of creative collaboration in all its guts and glory. In so doing, you get to see how the sausage is made, whether you want to or not; its players all working towards a common goal. Only they each come at it from different angles, highlighted by such pressures as overreliance on drugs, co-dependency in relationships, and the self-questioning of one’s own talent, which is the very thing that brought each of them into the room in the first place. If you have ever undertaken an artistic endeavor with other people, all the pitfalls delineated here ring true, as do the small triumphs along the way. When the finish line is finally in sight, it brings a whole other set of tensions, good and bad, that can be as frightening as they are illuminating.
The characters in Stereophonic are composed of a British-American band that closely resembles Fleetwood Mac when they recorded their groundbreaking Rumours album from 1976 through 1977. It wound up becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time and won Album of the Year at the 1978 Grammys. And yet, its long gestation in the recording studio has often been cited as the direct cause of the group’s subsequent breakup. Whether the interpersonal relationships on display in Stereophonic are based on real life or not is beside the point, as the play works perfectly well on its own as fiction. If it all actually happened that’s fine, but it’s not germane to Adjmi’s drama working brilliantly.
If there were a Tony Awards category for Ensemble, Stereophonic would take the trophy in a walk this season. The individual cast members have individual moments to shine, but it is as a whole where the genius lies. Again, Daniel Aukin not only places his actors spatially with great specificity, but the performances he draws inspire. If any of them studied Stanislavski, I’m sure they all got A’s. For the record (pun intended), Will Brill is outstanding as Reg, a substance abuser who is anything but a cliché. As one of the most reliable New York stage actors, he is once again right on the money. Tom Pecinka portrays Peter, easily the most difficult role to pull off, managing to make us care for his character without him (or the playwright or director) overworking to elicit our sympathy. Despite all the bad things he does, we understand him, and that’s everything. As the engineer/slash producer of the album, Eli Gelb delivers a performance of great subtlety. In some ways, he’s the one we empathize with the most and he straddles a thin line between being stirred by and infuriated by these artists he’s surrounded with. Andrew R. Butler turns the quiet and weird Charlie (the recurring joke is no one can remember his name) into a wonderful depiction of a dedicated worker who knows his stuff as a sound engineer but is relegated much of the time to staying out of the line of fire. As Simon the drummer, Chris Stack takes his responsibility as the default “adult in the room” seriously, even if his two emotional outbursts are comic highlights.
The two women in all this are not given short shrift. As the Stevie Nicks character—the one destined to break out on her own—Sarah Pidgeon gives a beautifully modulated performance. She’s also an extraordinary singer, which makes the believability of every situation thrust upon her so authentic. And as Holly, a Brit with a spine, Juliana Canfield delivers spectacularly. Her spin on the 70s romantic/thriller Don’t Look Now is worth the price of admission.
As for the music we hear during the course of the play, Will Butler (of the band Arcade Fire) has not only accurately caught a vivid 70s sound, but makes it seem conceivable these songs would make for a terrific album. No easy feat. Along with music director Justin Craig, who co-wrote the orchestrations, the sound is fantastic; as is Ryan Rumery’s sound design, which will surely take home the Tony Award. And speaking of design, again the David Zinn set depicting the inner studio and soundproof booth the band performs in are as realistic as possible, while still retaining a grand theatricality in understated fashion. The costumes by Enver Chakartash looked pulled from a thrift store and couldn’t be more dead on. Lighting by Jiyoun Chang is simply perfect.
And a shout out to casting directors Alaine Alldaffer and Taylor Williams who, in addition to discovering a seven-person cast that melds perfectly, five play their own musical instruments really well (one’s a tambourine, but still)! They can also sing, act and, in the case of three of them, do spot-on British accents (credit to dialogue coach Gigi Buffington). It’s a marvel of talent up on that stage, truly.
To put it another way, Stereophonic is music to this critic’s ears.
Stereophonic. Extended through August 18 at the Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue). www.stereophonicplay.com
Photos: Julieta Cervantes
