The house of Regina (Rosina Reynolds), Horace (Michael Harvey), and daughter Alexandra Giddens (Rachael VanWormer) is a beautiful example of southern elegance. Alas, the matriarch, Regina, is a driven woman. She is in constant power struggle with her brothers Ben (Tom Stephenson) and Oscar (Tim West) and with her husband, Horace (Michael Harvey). Yet, more than greed that drives her in Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes. Add to this mix the lovely, but repressed Birdie (Glynn Bedington), wife of Oscar, who himself is repressed by his brother Ben. Birdie and Oscar's son, Leo (Joseph Panwitz) is a ne'er do well who works at Horace's bank. The Giddens' staff is run by Addie (Cynthia Marie Brooks), a black in the South who sees all and understands the true nature of just about everybody, especially Regina. Her helper, Cal (Tom Zohar), does her bidding, but understands very little about anything.
Marshall (also played by Michael Harvey), in from Chicago, is considering a factory to take advantage of the South's low wages and the proximately of the raw material: cotton. The brothers have the cotton and are seeking their sister for a third of the investment. They then would become partners with Marshall. The intrigue builds. While placed about a hundred years ago, the plot is as current as today's news.
In Sean Murray's production for Cygnet, every performance is perfection, period. Reynolds is formidable, verbally jousting with the others. Stephenson keeps his character on the edge at all times with every look, every movement. West personifies the weaker brother, who takes his brother's domination and then browbeats his son and wife. Bedington shows the two sides of Birdie elegantly. Panwitz is easy to dislike in his role of Leo. Brooks is very interesting as the subservient servant and most incisive observer. VanWormer shows us the true strength of Alexandra. Michael Harvey's Chicagoan Marshall simply gets the plot rolling. His husband Horace, very sick from heart attacks, shows us tremendous power under duress. Finally, Zohar convinces us that Cal is definitely far less than brilliant. What a cast!
Eric Lotze's lighting design is low key. The illusion of gas lighting is quite convincing. Melissa E. Lewis' sound works well. Both give Sean Murray's elegant set just the right touches. Bonnie Durben's props adds a nice element, as well. Jeanne Reith's costumes are exactly right for the period. We have come to expect technical excellence from Cygnet, and we get it.
We have also come to expect artistic excellence from Sean Murray. He meets our every expectation and then a bit more for Cygnet Theater's very nice 150-seat venue. Their second season offers a wide range of material, with the common element of great casting and skilled direction, in a stage environment that reflects the playwright's words. If you haven't been to Cygnet, this Hellman classic is worthy of your attendance; don't miss it.
