NORTH COAST REP STAGES A POWERFUL “A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE” WITH RICHARD BAIRD AT ITS CENTER.

 

Run! Don’t walk to North Coast Repertory Theatre’s opening of its 43d season with Arthur Miller’s first-rate, seldom-produced drama “A View From The Bridge”. (It was produced one other time here in San Diego by the then George Flint’s Renaissance Theatre Company in 2003.) 

At its center is Richard Baird, who has been in 35 productions at NCR.

Deservedly so, his is a performance one will soon not forget.

Richard Baird

Set in the ‘50’s in the Italian, waterfront district of Brooklyn,  everything looks picture perfect in Eddie (Baird) and Beatrice’s (Margo White) flat. Their adopted nineteen year old niece, Catherine (Zolezzi) has found a job. Much to his chagrin, Eddie wants her to continue school and argues. They convince Eddie to let her work as a stenographer down by the docks, since she has been taking, and he’s been paying for, classes for her schooling.

Lowell Byers and Coby Rogers

They are awaiting the arrival of Beatrice’s relatives who are coming to the ‘new world’ (illegally) to make a better life and eventually send for Marco’s (Lowell Byers) wife and family.  

It’s funny though how fast things can go dreadfully wrong in just a nanosecond. Eddie, a loyal family member, hard -working man, generous to a fault and overall good guy in the neighborhood, is conflicted with his feelings for his niece.

Marie Zolezzi and Margot White

It’s somewhat obvious at first but builds to a crescendo after the young stowaways, Marco and Rodolpho, arrive at Eddie’s house and a romance starts to bud between Catherine and Rodolpho (Coby Rogers) and Eddie goes through the roof.   

As in all Greek tragedies, Alfieri (Frank Corrado) neighborhood lawyer and family friend, breaks through the fourth wall and fills in the blanks of the demise… the tragedy of the Carbone family. As much as he would like to change the outcome, he is powerless to do so.

Frank Corrado

With commanding performances by the entire cast, the play unravels while the audience watches in horror as the family disintegrates before its eyes. Such powerful performances cannot be ignored by San Diego audiences. This one take the prize. 

Alongside Baird is Margo White his long suffering wife Beatrice who also gives a commanding, yet agonizing performance as she watches her husband yearn for Catherine while ignoring her. (“You want somethin' else, Eddie, and you can never have her!”) 

Coby Rogers, Richard Baird, Marie Zolezzi

Marie Zolezzi is perfect as the girl/woman who doesn’t see the trees through the forest as she cuddles up to Eddie while secretly having sex  with Rodolpho. Coby Rogers is playful as Rodolpho. Lowell Byers is convincing as Marco, who sends money back to his family, and Frank Corrados straight talk is painful, but much needed. Matthew Salazar-Thompson and Steve Froelich round out the cast playing multiple roles. 

Marie Zolezzi, Margot White, Richard Baird, Lowell Byers, Coby Rogers

Deftly directed by Artistic  Director David Ellenstein, the audience is taken on a tragic journey as we watch Eddie lose control of his place in his own neighborhood and home and fall deeper into darkness as he conjures up reasons for Catherine not to be with Rodolpho including convincing himself that Rodolpho is a homosexual (“The guy ain't right ... He's a blond guy. Like ... platinum. You know what I mean?”) and trying to convince Alfieri of the same.

Cast 

Marty Burnett’s set is up to its usual high standards with an average looking apartment and some rough edges representing the docks and bridge. Matthew Novotny designed the lighting, Elsa Benzoni designed the period costumes and Ian Scott, sound. 

William’s play, first produced in 1955 as a one act, flopped. But a year later it was mounted as a two act and off it went.  It  looked like a page lifted out of todays newspapers where illegals are blamed for everything and arrested and sent back to their native countries; where everyone was paranoid and looking over their shoulders. 

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat.”  

George Santayana.

See you at the theatre.

When:  Runs through Oct. 13th. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. and Sundays

Where: North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, 

Solana Beach

Photo: Aaron Rumley

Tickets: $52-$74

Phone: (858) 481-1055

Online: northcoastrep.org