If you ask me…
Eden at Yale Repertory Theatre,
1120 Chapel Street in New Haven
By Tom Holehan
Connecticut Critics Circle
Eden, Steve Carter’s 1976 play about an immigrant family in 1927 Manhattan, may be one of the most traditional plays to ever grace the Yale Rep stage. The adventurous theatre is often the home of new discoveries and head-scratching new plays. But like their support of August Wilson and his great plays of the 1990s, Eden is an old-fashioned domestic drama with a beginning, middle and end with well written characters and a story as timely as tomorrow’s New York Times. This is an excellent choice by the Rep.
The first of Carter’s Caribbean trilogy of plays, Eden deftly explores family dynamics and racial conflicts between Caribbean immigrants and their African-American neighbors. Set in the San Juan Hill section of New York City in 1927, recent Caribbean immigrant Joseph Barton (a chilling Russell G. Jones) rules his family with an iron fist that often includes corporal punishment. When he discovers that his daughter, Annette (Lauren F. Walker), is set to marry Eustace (Chaundre Hall-Broomfield), the southern African American next door, the stage is set for major conflicts. In the middle is Annette’s mother, Florie (Christina Acosta Robinson, superb), the conflicted wife of Joseph who finally decides to take a stand.
Eden is a reminder of the popular kitchen sink dramas of the 1950s where characters are fleshed out and real issues are explored. The ensemble cast is uniformly strong and includes Prentiss Patrick-Carter and Juice Mackins as Joseph’s berated sons and Alicia Pilgrim in the scene-stealing role as Eustace’s exuberant aunt.
I did have some issues, at times, with the strong Caribbean dialect and diction where lines were lost and Pilgrim needs to learn the art of holding for laughs because she gets a lot of them here. For the most part, however, this nearly 3 hour drama flows smoothly and purposefully under Brandon J. Dirden’s steady direction.
George Zhou’s expansive scenic design includes the Baylor household, a hallway for the neighbors and a rooftop setting where laundry is hung as lovers secretly meet. Ankit Pandey’s lighting is enhanced greatly by some lovely projections from designer Ein Kim. Costumer Caroline Tyson covers the six month period with original and appropriate choices for the entire company. Eden is one solid production all around.
“Eden” continues at the Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel Street in New Haven, through February 8. For further information and ticket reservations call the theatre box office at 203.432.1234 or visit: www.yalerep.org.
Tom Holehan is one of the founders of the Connecticut Critics Circle, a frequent contributor to WPKN Radio’s “State of the Arts” program and the Stratford Crier and Artistic Director of Stratford’s Square One Theatre Company. He welcomes comments at [email protected]. His reviews and other theatre information can be found on the Connecticut Critics Circle website: www.ctcritics.org.