"The Seagull" - A Review

(Hoo boy - talk about a review I feel completely unqualified to write!)

Last night I joined a huge crowd at Marshall's Joan C. Edwards Playhouse for an amazing performance of Anton Chekov's play, The Seagull.

It can best be described as an amazing theatre experience - an intelligent, involving story about the family of a famous actress and how their lives interact - and the loves that are always just out of reach. But don't think it's a depressing show - it's actually quite funny, though entwined with some tragic moments.

The actors are absolutely fantastic - it takes a great touch to manage the balance between portraying real characters, adding comic flourishes and moments of anguish - and the entire cast did a fantastic job. Kudos to: Mary P. Williams (Irina), Adam Terry (Kostya), Mike Murdock (Sorin), Shay Hannon (Nina), Jeremy Plyburn (Shamraev), Caitlin Haught (Polina), Leah Turley (Masha), Cody Southern (Trigorin), Chris Ferris (Medvedenko), Greg Kiser (Smirnov), Adam Paul (Yakov), Robyn Helton (The Cook) and Nick Reynolds (Dorn).

Kudos also to the directing team for a fantastic job, especially my pal Jack Cirillo (who has the best stories about being in Chekov plays). Congratulations also to the tech crew for a fantastic job!

So why do I feel completely unqualified to write a review of this excellent show? Well, my background is strictly that of an amateur - I work with community theatre, which tends to focus on lighter fare. Even though it has some comedic moments, The Seagull is what I would call "serious" theatre - a tremendous undertaking by the cast and crew to stage, tackling big topics in a thoughtful, adult manner. It's wonderful that Marshall tackles these kinds of shows, because no other theatre group in Huntington is doing this kind of work (more's the pity).

So I recommend it without hesitation, but be warned that this is a show that will require your attention. The good news is, in return, it'll make you think. And that's a good thing!

Tonight's your last chance to catch it, so make plans now to see The Seagull!