Theater Review - The Night of the Iguana

The Night of the Iguana

Written by Tennessee Williams

Directed by Ed Stern

Where: Thompson Theatre at the Roselle Center for the Arts

(University of Delaware, Newark, DE)

When:  Saturday, September 28, 7:30pm

Photo by Paul Cerro -- REP

Although I'd heard of The Night of the Iguana, it's definitely one of Tennessee Williams' lesser-known plays.  Personally, my experience with Williams has led me to feel he's quite overrated, but the one thing the University of Delaware's Resident Ensemble Players have taught me is to be open to exploring unfamiliar plays -- particularly given the great value this fantastic troupe consistently provides.  I've said it numerous times before and I'll say it numerous times again that the REP excels at all aspects of production from their sets to their costumes to their acting and in The Night of the Iguana, the company is firing on all cylinders.  The gorgeous set by Joseph P. Tilford (his first time with the REP) and the spot-on costumes by returning designer Mathew LeFebvre plant us squarely in the steamy rainforests of Puerto Barrio, Mexico.  Perhaps moreso than many of REP's recent productions, the sets, costumes, and even the more technical aspects of lighting and sound design (by Thomas Hase and Fitz Patton, respectively) create a near perfect atmosphere making me feel as if I was transported south.  The acting troupe itself is stellar with even the smallest of parts making the absolute most of their stage time.  All of these positives make it all the more painful for me to say that the play itself just didn't work for me and led to an uncomfortably squirmy night that dragged on much too long.

Act I of The Night of the Iguana starts out quite promisingly, providing a nice mix of comedy and drama to keep the audience intrigued.  We meet Lawrence Shannon (played by Mic Matarrese), a defrocked reverend who was forced to leave the church several years ago after he slept with one of his parishioners and, shortly thereafter, blasphemed God from the pulpit in a Sunday sermon.  Shannon's new job is as a tour guide across the Mexican landscape and he makes an unscheduled stop with his current group of southern church choir belles at the rundown Casa Verde Hotel.  Shannon's been here before and knows the recently widowed owner Maxine (REP member Elizabeth Heflin) quite well.  Maxine agrees to take him in for a few nights as well as obliging to board the church choir if they so desire.  As the day goes on (the whole play occurs over the course of less than twenty-four hours), a forty-something artist named Hannah and her poet grandfather (REP's Carine Montbertrand and Michael Gotch) arrive at the Casa Verde and their unique spin on life causes Shannon to re-evaluate his behaviors.

It's that re-evaluation period that occurs in the exceedingly long second act that brings the play to a screeching halt.  There's just a languid feeling that hangs around during the whole second half that never disappears.  It's obvious that Tennessee Williams was trying to dig deep and insist that this play have a "purpose," but this attempt just doesn't work.  There are tenuous metaphorical connections that he puts in place involving an iguana (hence the title) that just had me chuckling instead of pondering, and it created a palpable restlessness in the audience (or, in the case of the guy seated behind me, a soothing sleep-inducement) throughout the play's final seventy minutes.

And it's a damn shame, too, because as I mentioned above the REP is in top form here.  This is truly some of their best work in a long time and it's a shame it can't be applauded as much as it should because of the play itself.  Having already mentioned the excellent technical aspects, let me point out that every member of the acting company shines here and instead of singling out any one person, I'd like to recognize the cast as a whole who all hit exactly the right notes and beats -- whether that be comedic or dramatic -- that their characters require.

The Resident Ensemble Players at the University of Delaware are such a deal in terms of value for the price of the ticket that whenever my reviews of their productions contain harsher critiques, I always feel a tiny bit guilty because they really are technically stellar at what they do.  It's just a shame that the opening play of their 2013-14 season couldn't be the showcase that their talent and expertise deserves.