Yesterday, I went to Center Stage to see, The Price, by Arthur Miller. This was the first show I’ve seen this season. I missed Lady Windemere’s Fan which opened up the season.

This season it looks like I will be sitting again next to the elderly black lady with the oxygen tank. This time I found from the conversation she was having with another elderly lady in the row in front of us that her niece left college but decided to return and go to pharmacy school.

THE PRICE by Arthur Miller

The production was directed by Will Frears

Jeff Allin........Victor Franz

Maryann Urbano....Esther Franz

Howard Witt.......Gregory Solomon

Kevin O’Rourke....Walter Franz

Overall, I liked the show a lot. I found it to be very thought provoking. I was surprised to learn after seeing the show that the director of the show is the son of British film director Stephen Frears.

The Price was about two grown brothers who meet for the first time in 16 years after their father died. They meet to divide up their inheritance, which is the old furniture that was contained in their childhood home. They have to do this because the building they lived in is about to be demolished.

One brother sacrificed his own future to support their ruined father, while the other pursued a hollow success as a doctor. In the company of a wise-cracking old junk dealer, self delusion grows into self knowledge. In The Price Arthur Miller challenges our ideas of success and investigates whether, without moral foundation, any gain can guarantee happiness.

In my opinion the best standout performance was that of Howard Witt as Gregory Solomon the furniture appraiser. As Solomon the 90 year old furniture dealer, Witt finds himself in the middle of an uneasy family reunion between two brothers. His unease brought much needed wit and wisdom to the play. He seemed to make all the scenes he was in sparkle and shimmer with life.

Kevin O’Rourke who played Walter Franz, the pompous yet well intentioned brother was also quiet good. His character brought a deeper meaning to the play. At first you feel contempt for Walter abandoning his destitute and ailing father. Walter appears to be a cold blooded reptile of a man. Later you learn that things are not necessarily as they appear to be. Oddly, you end up feeling sympathetic towards his character.

Jeff Allin and Maryann Urbano both gave adequate performances. Of the two Allin gave the better performance as Victor the anchor and protagonist of the play. Urbano seemed to only occasionally be on stage.

Scenic designer Alexander Dodge did a very interesting thing with the set. It appeared to consist of a background piled high with furniture. This was a good way of conveying that the family lived stowed away in an attic with all their worldly possessions around them.

WHAT I’M WEARING: Right now I’m wearing a long sleep shirt that has a picture of a cartoon dog on it. The caption on it reads, “Dog gone tired”. I’m wearing this with blue fuzzy slippers.