Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Isabelle Huppert astonishes as PHAEDRA(S) at BAM

• By drediman
• September 14, 2016
• No Comments

Isabelle Huppert in the title role of “Phaedra(s)” at BAM

In Phaedra(s), the Next Wave offering that’s currently astonishing at the BAM Harvey, Polish director Krzysztof Warlikowski has assembled a series of takes on the story of the Greek queen who falls completely and lustfully in love with her step-son, Hippolytus. Suffice to say, things don’t end up happily, time and time again. In this reexamination of the Greek tragedy, he includes writings from the likes of Sarah Kane, Wajdi Mouawad, and J.M. Coetzee. In the turbulent role of the incestuous Phaedra – in her numerous incarnations – Mr. Warlikowski has cast the iconic French actress Isabelle Huppert. It must be said that here, Ms. Huppert is giving an unflagging performance of such nervous and physical intensity and force that achieves the near impossible – it fully transmits the operatic grandeur of Phaedra’s searing, uncompromising emotions, in all its ugly glory. It’s an epic portrayal, and I encourage you not to miss it.

The three-and-a-half-hour production is very much a post-modern take on the Phaedra legend. Wajdi Mouwad’s version starts off the long evening viscerally. It’s an intoxicating adaptation that’s commenced by Aphrodite herself – also played by Ms. Huppert – in which Phaedra which highlights the intensity, even the divine nature, of her passion for Hippolytus. Then we have the Sarah Kane version (excerpts from her play Phaedra’s Love) continuing the evening in typical Sarah Kane fashion. Ms. Kane’s take is viciously bleak; in her world, there are no gods, just raw human existentialism and pointlessness. Lastly, we have J.M. Coetzee’s interpretation, in which Phaedra is conjured up as a cynical, aging scholar. In this final section, Mr. Coetzee suggests – in the guise of wit and humor – that to be mortal is to be divine, hence coming full circle with the production itself.

Kudos to Mr. Warlikoski for helming this ambitious, hugely engaging production. As if to contextualize the Phaedra story for us, he has a tawdry stripper (the magnetic Rosalba Torres Guerrero) dancing seductively during the interludes. Can Phaedra merely be a common hussy? Mr. Warlikowski is supported by an excellent design team – sets, lighting, video, and sound are all top-notch. Malgorzata Szczesniak’s large-scale design is dominated by a glass chamber that moves in and out of the playing area to create smaller, more claustrophobic spaces for the action to unfold.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

PHAEDRA(S)
Off-Broadway, Play
Produced by Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe (in association with others) at BAM Harvey
3 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Through September 17