Review “The Little Foxes” (Goodman Theatre): Lush and Wicked

Thursday, May 14, 2015 Permalink 0

1415Foxes_PP_01Goodman Theatre presents THE LITTLE FOXES.

Upon arrival, the audience is whisked back in time to turn-of-the-century 1900s elegance.  Scenic Designer Todd Rosenthal has constructed an oversized Victorian dollhouse complete with ornate gaslights and an elaborate staircase. Towering windows look out onto the grounds.  The grandiose appearance is scaled for authenticity. And before we leave, we’ll even gaze out through the windows at a rain storm.  What we can see at first glance is impressively stunning.  And then, we look deeper into this home. Drapes are pulled back to surprisingly reveal an entire formal dining room just off the living room.   

The visual illustrates the essence. This is what the show is, an ongoing series of behind-the-drapes reveals.  At first glance, the Hubbards are a tight-knit Southern family.  The siblings; statuesque Shannon Cochran (Regina), smooth-talking Larry Yando (Ben) and overwrought Steve Pickering (Oscar) are working a deal to bring a cotton mill to town.  We easily see their established patterns from childhood.  Initially, Cochran and Yando bully Pickering.  Later, Yando and Pickering turn on Cochran.  Throughout the play, the alliances continually shift in competition for the prize. This time it’s for money but in the past, it might have been a toy.  The family isn’t dysfunctional.  They function like a well greased corporate machine.  The rat race lives in this home.

Playwright Lillian Hellman premiered THE LITTLE FOXES in 1939.  The essences are timeless.  She tackles social class, gender inequality, racism, domestic violence, and alcoholism.  Her dialogue is delicious layers of deceit and cruelty under polite conversation.  Under the masterful direction of Henry Wishcamper, this sublime ensemble devour each other with refinement.  Although the ongoing pace has a stately dignity, Wishcamper uses over-the-top melodramatic music to introduce and close each act.  It’s almost comical and completely unnecessary.  The performances are riveting enough.  An act ends with a steely Cochran perched majestically on the settee.  In that one moment, her expression perfectly conveys her past, present and future.  It’s disconcerting.  No music required.         

This is a relational piece.  And figuring out how horrible the siblings can be to each other is a good chunk of the show.  Yando drawls through soliloquies with the eloquence of a gentleman missing the simplicity of slavery.  His well-placed inflection makes for plenty of vicious witticisms.  Cochran and Pickering grovel to his self-imposed leadership.  Although Cochran is burdened by her gender, she easily puts herself as second in the sibling pecking order.  To remind Pickering of his place, the taller Cochran often taps him on the head.  It’s both patronizing and hilarious.  Pickering effectively smolders under the weight of his rank.  And we see the oppressed turn to oppressor as Pickering torments his wife, Mary Beth Fisher (Birdie).  He also is in collusion with his son, a slithering Dan Waller (Leo).  Waller’s looming presence is like a well-fed, lazy cat waiting for the ball of string to roll over to him.  When confronted by his father about work, a humorous Waller brazenly denies it with a series of unconvincing explanations.    

With all the mean-spirited collusion in play, my favorite scene is actually without the siblings.  On a rainy afternoon, Fisher, John Judd (Horace), Rae Gray (Alexandra) and Cherene Snow (Addie) find comfort in each other.  It’s a lovely respite from the Hubbard game-playing.  Snow brings in cakes and wine for an impromptu chat.  Snow is a servant, a black servant.  Because we know about the Hubbards‘ vocal racism, Snow sitting down and pouring herself a glass of wine is significant.  We see she is an intimate and trusted part of this foursome. At one point, a resigned Judd bestows to Snow his most precious valuable. Their connection is beautifully touching.

While Judd broods over his present and his daughter’s future, an animated and chatty Fisher drinks to the past.  Fisher amusingly twitters on about her faded belle youth.  Costume Designer Jenny Mannis reinforces the look of aging debutante. She wraps Fisher in washed-out dresses, unfashionably bustled. In drastic contrast, Mannis has Cochran in vivid, chic attire befitting a vamp.  With Cochran out of the room, Fisher and her frumpy frocks take on an endearing sheen. She is drinking to remember who she is.  And her reminiscing sparks her need to rescue Gray from a similar fate. 

The lovely Rae Gray perfectly illustrates the innocence of youth.  She remains unscathed by her greedy family.  At its core, this is her coming-of-age story.  Early in the show, Gray is timid about riding the train by herself.  What she hasn’t realized is the world is more cruel inside her home among family than outside among strangers.  By the end, her eyes have been open to the truth.  And she confidently makes a life-changing decision.   

Hellman’s THE LITTLE FOXES is iconic.  And Wishcamper masterfully orchestrates the Goodman’s production as a lush and wicked showcase.  And except for some long-winded soliloquies (siblings would cut each other off), the ensemble interact like a genuine family.  It feels like they’ve been together for decades. The familial tension and comedy is like a finely edited reality show. The Hubbards could be pre-television Kardashians.  The family business is a business first.  And blood isn’t thicker than bonds.       

Running Time:  Two hours and forty-five minutes with two intermissions

At Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn

Written by Lillian Hellman

Directed by Henry Wishcamper

Wednesdays, Thursdays at 7:30pm

Fridays, Saturdays at 8pm

Sundays at 2pm

Additional 2pm performances on May 21, 23, 28, 30, June 4,6

Additional 7:30pm performances on May 17, 26, June 7

Thru June 7th

Buy Tickets at www.goodmantheatre.org

For more reviews and information on Chicago theatre, visit Theatre in Chicago.

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