theatre review: "THIRD"

My review of the play "THIRD"

by Wendy Wasserstein

directed by Casey Stengl

cast: Raye Birk, Tony Clarno, Emily Gunyou Halaas, Angela Timberman, Sally Wingert

NOW--> March 30th, 2008

I only went to see THIRD because Emily Gunyou Halaas was featured in it... however, I was pleasantly surprised with the entire cast.  All of the leads service their characters with an honest intensity that does justice to Wasserstein's air-tight script.  I was initially worried that relative newcomer Tony Clarno was playing Woodson Bull III (AKA "THIRD") with too much of a careless and innocent flair, until I realized that his character is coming from such a place in his development.  "Third" is a hard worker and a good guy until he's accused of plagiarizing a Shakespeare paper by his high-minded, glass-ceiling-breaking, liberal-ista college professor.  Wingert emotes all of the presuppositions of this character in each of her lines and somehow manages to come off as both the play's heroine and antagonist.  Additionally, she brings out all of the sharp witticisms and liberal humor entrenched in Wasserstein's script with a striking ease.... as if this role was written just for her.  Watch for the moment when (just before intermission), Wingert screams out a defiant statement that we earlier heard from her father (Raye Birk)... another example displaying the deep and honest nature of the script.

Not much to say about EMILY GUNYOU HALAAS except for the fact that she's perfect in this role and nails it!  I look forward to many more years of seeing Mrs. Halaas' wonderful characterizations on stage!

Angela Timberman contributes the most emotional portion of the play, as Wingert's colleague at the University.  Long story short, Timberman's character has a resurgence of the breast cancer that she had been battling AND is forced to side with Third at the Academic probation hearing (which he wins)... look for some intense convos between Timberman and Wingert that resonated so deeply with me that tears were shed.

Bottom Line?...

Everyone in this play is amazing and YOU ALL should go see it now.

(word up to Mrs. Halaas!)