After watching Old Times, I was officially bitten by the theatre bug and raced back to Broadway to watch yet another Roundabout Theatre Company production. This time around, the play was Therese Raquin, starring Keira Knightley in her Broadway debut. It was a mesmerizing two and a half hours of theatre.
Adapted by Helen Edmundson from a novel by Emile Zola, the play tells the story of Therese Raquin (Keira Knightley), a young woman who has been raised by her aunt in a small French village and is pressured into marrying her cousin Camille (Gabriel Ebert) at the age of twenty-one. Camille is a sickly, whiny man-child, who has been coddled by his mother (Judith Light) and has no great affection for Therese so their marriage is a mostly perfunctory affair. Camille then decides that he is being stifled by life in this village, so he abruptly moves the family to Paris. Therese is brokenhearted to leave the natural beauty of her surroundings to live in a cramped dingy apartment in the city. Her life seems increasingly desperate, until one day, Camille brings home Laurent (Matt Ryan), an old friend from the village who happens to be working at the same firm in Paris. And he changes Therese's life.
The play is utterly fascinating. It captures the circular evolution of Therese from a desperate, unhappy woman to a happy, passionate woman back to a desperate, unhappy woman, because that's how French literature goes. As Laurent and Therese attempt to secure their happiness forever, they embark on a doomed journey that will bring them terror and misery. The play has many romantic and funny moments in the first half. But don't expect any giggles in the second half. Let's just say that things take a decided turn for the macabre after the intermission.
The actors all deliver remarkable performances that keep you invested in these characters till the bitter end. Judith Light is wonderful as Madame Raquin, a well-meaning woman who lets her son walk all over her and has no idea what resentment she has bred in Therese. Matt Ryan and Camille Ebert are superb as the two men in Therese's life, one adored and one despised. And Keira Knightley is unsurprisingly magnificent, convincing you to root for Therese every step of the way despite her increasingly poor decisions.
Putting aside the engaging plot and performances however, we must discuss the extraordinary set design by Beowulf Boritt. Because so much of the play takes place on the banks of the Seine, half the stage contains a river flowing through it. At first you think, "Oh that's a nice special effect," and then you realize, "Oh wait, that's real water on the stage." At one point, people actually go sailing on a rowboat on this stage river - it's one of the most impressive things I've seen.
Directed by Evan Cabnet, Therese Raquin is a must-see production that hits it out of the park on all fronts. Whether you're interested in a good story, great acting, or jawdroppingly amazing set design, this play has you covered. So head on down to Studio 54 and indulge your soul. This is a piece of Broadway brilliance that you cannot afford to miss.
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