BROADWAY SNAP-SHOT
by Russell Bouthiller
Dateline: March 7, 2007
JOURNEY'S END
One of Broadway oldest and most venerated theatres, the Belasco, is now hosting the revival of R. C. Sherriff's 1929 drama, JOURNEY'S END, a doleful look at the pains of war. With a top-notch all-male ensemble and a robust design team, director David Grindley flushes out the full dramatic impact of Sherriff's graceful reflection on a seminal moment in Twentieth Century history.
JOURNEY'S END had its first reading some eighty years ago to favorable critical reception, but few bites from producers. The prevailing fear was that a look back at The Great War would not sell to the British public, still healing from the devastation of war. Those naysayer were proved wrong when the show was finally launched and became the sleeper sensation of its day, enjoying productions throughout Europe as well as a stint on Broadway.
JOURNEY'S END takes place in one of the most dark, forbidding quarters ever created for the stage. Using only a scant percentage of the Belasco's lofty space, scenic (and costume) designer Jonathan Fensom has created a dank and chilly bunker. Dust pluming through support beams and shards of light blazing through the one exterior door accentuates the sense of choking confinement. Keenly authenticating this wretchedness are the sound designs by Gregory Clarke and the lighting designs by Jason Taylor.
Set in WWI France, JOURNEY'S END takes us down into an underground hovel where a small group of British officers await the next big battle. Headed by Captain Stanhope (Hugh Dancy), the men welcome a new young officer to the company, 2nd Lieutenant Raleigh (Stark Sands). As his putative future brother-in-law, Stanhope is not at all happy to see this chum from back home. He fears Raleigh might witness and report the unpleasant changes he's undergone after years on the front.
Playwright Sheriff deftly develops this sticky situation, using it as a smooth mechanism to draw us into the play's core concern: the intricacies of men at war, living in the trenches. Serving as the evenhanded intermediary is Lieutenant Osborne (three-time Tony-winner Boyd Gaines) who, more than anyone, grasps what the toll war can inflict on a man's psyche.
Gaines and Dancy strike a precise balance as the two senior offices who have developed an open line of communication without having to spell out every detail. Rolling off a fluid accent, Gaines creates a comfort zone in this cruel setting, as Dancy, the beleaguered leader, tries to sooth his emotional wounds with an abundance of whiskey.
Shining a ray of light in all this darkness is Jefferson Mays in what might otherwise be the thankless role of Private Mason, the officer's cook. A Tony-winner for his stirring performance in I AM MY OWN WIFE, Mays elevates Mason's blandness to a clever, memorable dryness. And, John Ahlin's 2nd Lieutenant Trotter is a jolly ol' chap, full of girth and mirth.
Director Grindley has put together a sturdy ensemble and creates a forceful setting, allowing Sherriff's slow-burning play to suddenly ignite. Full of smoke and bombast, one feels ever shot these men take. JOURNEY'S END, a trip back to great theatre.