Powerful ‘Bridge’ revival at SCR

TOM TITUS

Few playwrights possessed the ability to wrench the emotions through

their characters as did Arthur Miller, who recently departed and left

an enormous theatrical legacy.

Miller’s most memorable figures -- Willy Loman, John Proctor and

Joe Keller -- all represented tragically flawed individuals who went

to their destiny either by their own hand or through sheer moral

stubbornness. None, however, faced their demons with as much visceral

fury as Eddie Carbone did in “A View From the Bridge.”

The 50th anniversary revival of Miller’s “View,” now on the

Segerstrom Stage at South Coast Repertory, packs all the physical and

emotional power as Budd Schulberg’s Oscar-winning movie “On the

Waterfront,” which preceded “View” by one year and contains some

vital parallels. Seething machismo courses through the veins of the

dockworker characters in each story.

Director Martin Benson -- who’s intimately familiar with Miller’s

works -- has staged a brilliantly realized and superbly executed

production, laced with seething jealousy and unnatural desire. His

gritty Brooklyn neighborhood, packed with Italian immigrants,

crackles with fury and desperation.

At the center of this high drama is Richard Doyle, delivering one

of his finest performances in a 40-year South Coast Repertory career,

as Eddie, the dockworker whose lech for his teenage niece manifests

itself when she connects with one of two illegal immigrants taking

shelter in his small apartment. Doyle excels as a patriarchal figure

with limited formal education who responds with anger and violence

when frustrated.

His internal struggle is best expressed during his pent-up talks

with the neighborhood lawyer, Aflieri -- an intelligent, measured

performance from fellow South Coast Repertory founding actor Hal

Landon Jr. Eddie can’t admit to his feelings about his niece, only

repeating that her new love interest “just ain’t right.”

Another brilliant performance comes from Elizabeth Ruscio as

Eddie’s long-suffering yet loyal wife, Beatrice, the one character in

the play who discerns Eddie’s fixation and has the courage to

confront him about it. Ruscio’s impassioned plea to Doyle to avert

the impending tragedy is a tremendous piece of acting.

Daisy Eagan as the niece, Catherine, beautifully projects her

conflicted emotions -- love and respect for Eddie versus her

resentment of his interference.

David Barry Gray and Anthony Cistaro excel as the contrasting

immigrant brothers taking refuge in the Carbone apartment. Gray woos

Eagan with charm and sensitivity, while the older Cistaro presents a

figure of understated menace, underscored with his one-handed

chair-lifting scene that closes Act 1.

South Coast Repertory’s “View” is magnified by the imposing,

two-level setting designed by Ralph Funicello, while Angela Balogh

Calin’s late-1940s costumes and Chris Parry’s brooding lighting

effects also contribute to a stunning production.

“A View From the Bridge” may now be a certified antique, but

Arthur Miller’s gut-wrenching story of pride and passion in New

York’s violent underbelly in the postwar years remains a vital,

compelling experience.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Fridays.