I met this girl the other day, a true beauty, you know, the kind that stops traffic. The kind that makes men and women alike forget to finish their sentences; heck, forget they even ever started them. She had an understated, elegant charm: more like a princess, less like a lingerie model. And the best part of it; nay, the very source of her exquisiteness, was the fact that she seemed to be genuinely and stupefyingly oblivious to her striking looks. I instantly got this feeling, that perhaps I shouldn’t tell her, I shouldn’t point it out, lest her beauty fade, lest self-consciousness cripple her etherial disposition. It’s the same dilemma I’m facing now, with the ATC and their latest play.
They presented a truly and thoroughly true and thorough performance. And it was elegant, professionally structured, refined and honest. Their commitment was apparent throughout and the finely tuned result was an ode to hard work. Carrie Ellwanger, the architect of the play, has now earned a new feather to decorate her cap with.
The script, by Zoe Kazan, exceeded my expectations, the lines were surprisingly well-crafted, witty and realistic in equal measure. The delivery of said lines was also a wonder to behold, for beholding would suffice, while listening was but surplus to requirements, such was the passion and pure stage-grit of the actors.
Carlos Casorrán, what one would call an «actor by birth», made me feel as though he had no choice but to amaze with his performance. Aspasia Fragoulopoulou, shone bright, crushed all doubt her young age brought along and instead let her years be a promise of the things to come; and boy, does she have a lot coming her way. Peyton Cimino, stood her ground firm (I surmise it was Southern temperament at work), as she took a tricky part and weaponised it, turning it into a platform to demonstrate her passion. Aksel Vannus, a bright young thing, was a casting triumph, the sort of actor that urges one to applaud before the curtain falls. The parents, Daisy Mouzaka and Johan Engren, complemented each other to perfection, they were discreetly reliable and heavily relied upon, and they magically propelled the plot forward, taking on more than they ever let show: the very trick actual parents pull everyday in real life.
It was a charming play. It was naturally flowing, with a pace as effortless, as organic and as elegant, as that of a beating heart. It had a pleasing roundness about it, an on-stage balance and a refreshing absence of all that is kitsch and theatrical, pompous and pretentious. More like Vivaldi, less like Wagner. More like a greek island sunset, less like a Vegas casino. More like a princess, less like a lingerie model.
You surely see why I suspect that their charm and how unsuspecting they seem to be of it, are causally intertwined. Which brings me back to my original dilemma with the beautiful girl: What shall we do then? Shall we tell them or not? Well, I thought about it long and hard, and you know what? At the end of the day, holding back heartfelt kind words and well-deserved compliments is just mean.
Natalie Veinoglou
Photo Credit: American Theatre Company
«We Live Here»
Directed by Carrie Ellwanger
American Theatre Company
21-24 May, Lumen Theatre
Tickets:
http://www.atcbrussels.com
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