Date: Fri 14-Mar-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: DONNAM

Illustration: C

Location: A12

Quick Words:

theatre-Wilder-Skin-Teeth-Yale

Full Text:

(rev "Skin of Our Teeth" @Yale School of Drama, 3/14/97)

Theatre Review-

Broad Smiles For "Skin of Our Teeth"

(with photo)

By June April

NEW HAVEN - Family values: one of the hot topics of our generation. With Yale

Rep's latest presentation, it's all there - over 20,000 years the dynamics of

relationships between husband and wife, parents and children, and sibling

rivalry. Toss in a couple of lively and loving pets - here a small dinosaur

and a woolly mammoth - and you have an unforgettable evening's entertainment:

Thornton Wilder's The Skin of our Teeth .

Under the superb direction of Liz Diamond, Skin of our Teeth is a special

project of the third-year acting class at the Yale School of Drama. They all

get top grades!

Wilder's work reflects many elements of his own life. He was born with a twin,

who died almost immediately. A need for approval and love were strong forces

in his life, "Are you glad I'm still alive Papa?" (from an earlier play, The

Happy Journey to Camden and Trenton ) is echoed in the voices of all the

characters in The Skin of our Teeth .

With his father, a man who loved but did not know how to express that love

except through setting high goals for his family and some financial support,

Wilder felt that no matter what he did, it was never good enough. It was his

beloved mother who was his family, along with his brother and sisters.

So it was a form of myth that characterized Wilder's writing.

And yet optimism prevails in Wilder. The Skin of our Teeth trumpets that

sentiment loudly. Over time, in spite of cataclysms and tragedies, people

endure... mankind is indestructible, and lessons (one hopes) are learned to

make people stronger. Perhaps that clarion call of belief is one of the

reasons Wilder's work has such universal appeal, and why he received three

Pulitzer Prizes during his lifetime.

In a "cyclical" journey, through time and space, the Antrobus family

("Anthropo" is the Greek word meaning man , and "bus" is a transporting

vehicle) moves from the devastation of the Ice Age into the future.

As in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Our Town (1938) that Wilder wrote, there is

only a "sketch" of a set, with few trappings. The players, as Wilder conceived

the play, use the aisles and talk directly to the audience. The actors are

part of the "common folk," and the play itself is only a vehicle from which

some of the actors step off to speak their "true thoughts."

Lighting was felt to be a crucial factor by Wilder in how the audience

perceived his plays. Jennifer Tipton, who has won awards and a second Tony,

did a spectacular job in this production. Kudos to Douglas Graves for his

sound design, and to Michele Oberle for her creative and appropriate costumes.

Set designer Walt Spangler created a well-conceived and constructed set that

brings its own special visual interest to the production.

Eleven of the 17-member cast play multiple roles. As the semi-tortured Mr

Antrobus, James Shanklin is clearly an actor of depth. As his loyal wife, Jill

Marie Lawrence is dignified and speaks clearly and beautifully. Her

Shakespearean roles have made an imprint.

Warming to her role as the sexy, outspoken Sabina (originally played by

Tallulah Bankhead), Svetlana Efremova is even better with her body language

than some of the lines. Obi Ndefo as the challenging son (whose twin "died")

Henry/Cain, and Brandy Sarle as the spoiled and love-starved daughter Gladys

play their respective roles with talent and verve.

Playing the stage manager, Mr Fitzpatrick, John Hines is totally believable.

For audiences who do not know the play, it appears the performance is "not

quite what it ought to be." But that was how Wilder wrote it: to bridge the

stage and draw the audience into the play.

On through March 15, this is one of the best evenings this reviewer has spent

at Yale Repertory Theatre since Mr Wojewodski took over as artistic director.

It is a play for all ages, to be understood at different levels.

For tickets ($25-$30, with senior discounts), curtain times, call 432-1234.