By TR Robertson Photos by Aaron Rumley
Solana Beach’s North Coast Repertory Theatre opened their 43rd season with a powerful and emotional dramatic play by award-winning playwright Arthur Miller, “A View From the Bridge”. This was the fourteenth of the thirty-seven plays Miller brought to the stage. It is based on a story Miller was told while living in Brooklyn. Closely following the form of a Greek tragedy, the play covers a long range of topics and emotions including family, love, jealousy, desire, prejudice, honor, respect, justice and the law, maturity, independence, The American Dream and more. The play was first staged in September 1955 as a one-act verse drama in 1955 at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. It did not receive favorable reviews, so Miller revised the drama and created a two act play which premiered in 1955 at the New Watergate Theatre Club in London’ West End before opening in the United States. It would go on to win Tony Awards, Drama Desk Awards and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Broadway Revivals in 1983, 1998, 2010 and 2015.
The play is set in the mid 1950’s in the Italian American neighborhood of Red Hook, Brooklyn, primarily in the tenement apartment of Eddie Carbone living close to the Brooklyn Bridge. It opens with the lawyer Alfieri, almost as the chorus in a Greek tragedy, speaking to the audience, telling the audience about the Italian American community of Red Hook, how the violence of those from Sicily had calmed down in America and how he would be telling everyone about the Italian American longshoreman, Eddie Carbone, and his wife Beatrice and Catherine whois approaching eighteen, the orphaned niece from Beatrice’s deceased sister. As we meet Eddie, it becomes obvious that he first appears to be a caring, concerned father-like figure for Catherine and he is a loving husband to Beatrice. The more we learn about Eddie, the more we see Eddie has an obsession for Catherine that bordering on improper love and his marriage is strained. Add to this the arrival of two brothers from Sicily that he and Beatrice have agreed to “hide out” as they are arriving as illegal immigrants without proper credentials for entering the U.S. The brothers get jobs at the docks, working where Eddie works. Marco is older and quiet spoke. Rodolpho is eager, a fast talker and excitable. Marco is married and a hard worker, sending money back to his family in Sicily. His younger brother, Rodolpho, is infatuated with America and spends his money on clothes, movies and having a good time. Eddie is uncomfortable around Rodolpho, doesn’t trust him and says, “the guy ain’t right”, believing he might be homosexual. Eddie also fears he is losing Catherine as she wants to go to work and is developing feelings for Rodolpho. As Eddie’s feelings for Catherine grow, his relationship with his wife deteriorates and his hatred of Rodolpho increases, feeling he is here to marry someone to become a U.S. citizen. Eddie tries to see if there is anything legally Alfieri can do but is told nothing can be done. Alfieri tells the audience Eddie is reaching a breaking point, and he fears what he might do. Eddies drunken stupor at the beginning of Act II, a shocking encounter with Catherine and Rodolpho and finding out Catherine plans to marry Rodolph brings Eddie to the breaking point. He decides to call immigration and turn the two brothers in. When arrested, Marco spits on Eddie’s face, marking him as unhonorable and this will lead the community Eddie lives in to turn against him for what he has done. Eddie lies, telling everyone he had nothing to do with what has occurred, feeling he has lost the respect he once had. Alfieri helps get the two brothers released, but Marco will be sent back to Sicily and Rodolpho may stay if he marries Catherine. This will lead to the final climactic emotionally charged scene that will change the lives of everyone in each family.
This powerful and highly emotional play requires a cast that can pull out all stops with performances that show the depth Miller wanted for each of the people in the play. The reaction of the audience at the end of the performance as each person took a bow clearly shows the feeling that they agree this has been accomplished. Richard Baird, performing in his 28th role for North Coast Repertory Theatre, was absolutely amazing as Eddie Carbone. An award-winning actor, director and producer, he reached down and brought Eddie and all of his struggles and troubles to life with what should be considered an award-winning performance. Margot White, as Eddie’s wife Beatrice, brought compassion, caring, concern and tenderness to her role. Marie Zolezzi, making her NC Rep debut, brought niece Catherine to the stage with enthusiasm, a teenage exuberance and emotion befitting a young girl trying to grow up in a world where she is smothered with love on one side as she seeks love and escape on another side. Playing the Sicilian brothers Marco and Rodolpho and making their NC Rep debut are Lowell Byers as Marco and Coby Rogers as Rodolpho. The soft-spoken Marco is wonderfully portrayed by Byers and when things come to a head between Marco and Eddie, Byers pours out the passion, hostility and sense of betrayal the older brother has for what has happened to them. The enthusiastic Rodolpho is brilliantly portrayed by Coby Rogers as he shows his growth as someone seeking the American Dream and eventually willing to stand up to someone like Eddie for what he wants.
Playing the lawyer Alfieri and the occasional narrator of this tale of misfortune is Frank Corrado, a veteran of several NC Rep plays. It could be said Alfieri is the bridge between the people living in Red Hook and the world outside of Red Hook. The citizens of Red Hook depend on Alfieri to assist with the world of law they don’t understand. Even Alfieri gets caught up in somehow respecting Eddie and what his life led to, even though Alfieri knows it was wrong. He also says he admires Eddie for so passionately believing as he did, which also scares him. Two additional cast members include Matthew Salazar Thompson as Louis and the First Immigrational Officer and Steve Froehlich as Mike and the Second Immigration Officer.
The Director of “A View From the Bridge” is NC Rep Artistic Director David Ellenstein. Assisting him are Stage Manager Jason Heil, Set Designer Marty Burnett, Light Designer Matthew Novotny, Costume Designer Elisa Benzoni, Sound Designer Ian Scot, Props Designer Kevin Williams and Hair & Wig Designer Peter Herman.
“A View From the Bridge” will be on the Solana Beach NC Rep Stage until October 13th.
