Cooperative Performance Milwaukee’s dramatic compression of The Seagull cleverly distills Anton Chekhov’s exhaustive four-act play into a sharp 63 minutes. Much detail is lost, but writer/director Don Russell manages to juggle a diverse ensemble in a way that makes the most of every respiration and perspiration in the production.
Russell’s staging begins with choreography cycling around Ashlea Wleklinski as a struggling playwright who is the son of a famous stage actress. Exquisite in her role as that actress, Sally Staats balances arrogant confidence over the vertiginous abyss of need and desperation. She conjures a captivating stage presence.
There are flashes of extreme cleverness from various corners of the ensemble. Nearly everyone here holds at least one crushingly insightful moment before the story reaches its end. With so much going right, it’s difficult to isolate individual high points. This production almost feels like highlights from a much more complete production of Chekhov’s original. As Paulina, Zach McLain strikes a moment of silent intensity. There’s a vulnerability in McLain compelling enough to completely overshadow the high-gravity presence of his powerful physical frame. In a play where years pass like seconds, Brenna Kempf goes through a breathtaking transformation as the aspiring actress Nina. She’s wide-eyed, innocent and passionate as the play opens. Less than one hour later, she’s weary, crushed and nearly mad. Her performance is the spiritual heart of a very intense hour of intimate theater.
Cooperative Performance Milwaukee’s production of The Seagull runs through Sept. 21 at Bucketworks, 161 W. Wisconsin Ave. For tickets, visit cooperformke.com.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.