Quasi Mondo's The Seagull 3-D

15 years ago I saw a staggeringly brilliant deconstruction of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. UWM's October 1997 production of Howard Barker's (Uncle) Vanya was a crazy de/reconstruction of Chekhov's original. It was wild. It was a irreverent. And it took place on a very, very small stage. 15 years later Quasi Mondo Theatre opens its season with a similarly deconstructed rendition of Chekhov. The Seagull 3-D is an absurdist adaptation of Chekhov this classic that remains very true to the themes at the heart of the script.

Brian Rott's adaptation of the classic is a very indulgent place. (In places it's downright tedious.) But there's a strong enough thread between everyone in the ensemble to bring the production together through a surprisingly brisk and fluid three and a half hours.

By far one of my favorite moments in the entire production is the introduction. Audience members enter what appears to be a converted warehouse space. In small groups we are escorted off to the performance-based via old fashion freight elevator. The show's co-director Megan Kaminski and Evan James Koepnick are in character as Masha and Semyon respectively. It's a very intimate moment between a few audience member, a couple of charactera and a couple of actors on the way out to the performance space. The moment mirrors a cinematic tracking shot as we follow these two characters conversing through halls of an old warehouse eventually reaching the performance space. It's beautifully directed. For a brief moment, we pass by Jeff Kriesel on a window sill in character as the novelist Trigorin. He says a few lines as we pass him by on our way into the space.  The dialogue between Kaminski and Koepick in character continues. That dialogue which brilliantly distills much of what lies at the heart of the story. The rest of the production could have served with the kind of clever concision present in that initial walk to the stage. In a large ensemble with many moving parts Kaminski and Koepnick manage a hauntingly memorable connection that feels like one of the production's most compelling even though it's not actually onstage for very long. 

Once we've arrived at the space, things settle in after a brief and beautifulI discordant string composition that plays everyone into their seats. Introductions are made and the play starts. People wear 3-D glasses. A picture is taken. 

Though liberties are taken with the script, all of the characters that make The Seagull what it is are lovingly rendered for the stage in Rott's adaptation. Standout performances include Jessi Miller as Nina--an aspiring young actress who moves around in delicate choreography. (The physicality in this production feels really vivid. In addition to Miller's movements, we get  Chris MacGregor as a less than grim reaper tap-dancing on a coffin and a surprisingly visceral moment of lustful passion between Kaminski and Rott in the roles of Masha and Constantin.) 

Olivia Gonzales is charmingly conceited as Irena--an established actress beyond prime. Jeff Kriesel is irresistibly wistful as Trigorin--the successful novelist thematically paired-off against the struggling genius playwright played by Brian Rott.

As stated before, the story may be very true to the original, but the presentation of the material is a deliberate departure from all those elements that can make a Chekhov play very, very difficult to sit through. It's cool to see a zombie version of Chekhov come out-of-the-box only to get shot a couple of times and proceed to play the saxophone. (It is.) The irreverently surreal presentation can come across a little forced in places. It's like the production is simply trying too hard to be weird. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that Rott probably had a perfectly good reason for throwing in a game of Twister and an extended reference to Super Mario Brothers. I'm sure these types of things have deep and toweringly brilliant contextual connections with the material. But that doesn't keep them from being more than a little annoying. 

Why, why do we need this type of thing in what is up and otherwise perfectly enjoyable show? They seem unctuous. Just trust your actors to tell a good story. You have a really, really good actors here. And it's bad enough that I have to get distracted by brilliant little performances around the margins. (I have a real desire to see some of the characters take a more prominent role because I have my favorites and the cast.) But do we also have to throw in all of these other little elements that distract from the core themes that make this such a compelling story? You're moving pretty far away from the script and certain places. Why not allow us a little bit more time with the characters as long as you're mutating it? I am all for the act of making epically high drama that suddenly becomes a Punch and Judy show for no reason and then moves back into the realm of serious drama. I like that kind of an experience. I just wish there was more of a cohesive feel to the production here. Thankfully, the emotional gravity between the characters keeps it from ever completely dissolving into abstract silliness.

For all of its many, many flaws this was a great deal of fun. And it's really enjoyable to see the tragic gravity of Chekhov mutated into something whimsical and silly and places. The script might not be as inspired a work as Barker's (Uncle) Vanya, but it's not really going for quite the same thing. Each is really interesting in its own right. I just wish I didn't have to wait around once every 15 years to see something like this done with the man's work. Of course, one wouldn't want to overdo it. Maybe once every 10 years or even once every five. But 15 years is too long to wait for these types of things to be done with one of Russia's greatest playwrights. If this sounds at all interesting to you you might want to see it. Otherwise you may have to wait until 2027 for the next Milwaukee-based Chekhovian deconstruction.

Quasi Mondo's production of The Seagull 3-D continues through October 20th at Milwaukee Fortress on  100 East Pleasant Street . For more info, call 414-702-0392 or visit Quasi Mondo online.