MARK AUERBACH
STOCKBRIDGE – Berkshire Theatre Group presents Harold Pinter’s contemporary masterpiece “The Homecoming” as its fall offering in the Unicorn Theatre. As thoughtfully staged by Eric Hill, designed by the creme de la creme of Berkshire Theatre Group designers, and showcasing great ensemble acting by a sextet of accomplished actors, “The Homecoming” is a polished rendering of one of Harold Pinter’s early works.
The Homecoming premiered fifty years ago on the London stage, and it transferred to Broadway, winning a Tony Award for “Best Play” in 1967. A Broadway revival in 2008 received a Tony Award nomination for “Best Revival of a Play”. Set in North London in the 1960s, The Homecoming is the story of a family, who react in extraordinary ways, when one son (David Barlow), who has been living in America for six years, returns to the family house with his wife (Tara Franklin), who he’d married in America. Patriarch Max (Rocco Sisto), his chauffeur brother (John Rothman) and his sons (Joey Collins and Ryan Morsbach) behave troublingly on different levels, and Pinters use of language, characterizations, and subtexts pull together to create a play that challenges on multiple levels.
Joey Collins and Tara Franklin in The Homecoming at Berkshire Theatre Group. (Photo by Michelle McGrady)
I’ve watched Eric Hill stage a variety of plays and musicals, from classics to new works, over the last twenty-five years. He is respectful of the playwright’s intent, keenly aware of the importance of design elements, and a collaborator with his actors. He also knows what plays well for an audience. In “The Homecoming,” he brings the elements together for good theatre. Reid Thompson’s London flat set is appropriately dowdy, and David Murin’s costumes are 1960s period. Solomon Weisbard’s lighting is top notch and J. Hagenbuckle’s jazzy score and sound design serves the production well.
All of the performances are accomplished, and the sextet developed great British accents. The two performances that stood out for me were Joey Collins as Lenny, who appears to be a pimp, and Tara Franklin as Ruth, the wife of the son who lives in America. Collins, new to Berkshire Theatre Group, navigated a tour-de-force monologue in the show’s first act. Franklin, a regular at Berkshire Theatre Group, is a talent worth watching.
“The Homecoming,” fifty years since its premiere, continues to be provocative and edgy, and difficult at times to read, but Berkshire Theatre Group’s production is a superlative rendering of Pinter, thanks to Eric Hill and company.
The Berkshire Theatre Group presents “The Homecomming” by Harold Pinter. Directed by Eric Hill. Scenic design by Reid Thompson. Costume design by David Murin. Lighting design by Solomon Weisbard. Sound design by J. Jagenbuckle. Cast: David Barlow, Joey Collins, Tara Franklin, Rylan Morsbach, John Rothman, and Rocco Sisto. Through October 25. The Berkshire Theatre Group’s Unicorn Theatre, Stockbridge, MA. For tickets: 413-997-4444 or www.berkshiretheatregroup.org.
Mark G. Auerbach studied theatre at American University and the Yale School of Drama. He’s worked for arts organizations and reported on theatre for newspapers and radio.
