American playwrights have written some of the most memorable plays in our theatrical history. Among those are Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Tony Kushner's Angels in America, Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night, Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie, Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, Arthur Miller's The Crucible, and August Wilson's Fences. Topping off this prestigious list is Thornton Wilder, one of the most revered and celebrated writers of the 20th Century and the only recipient of three Pulitzer Prizes, the first in 1927 for his novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, the second for "Our Town" in 1938, and the last one in 1943 for The Skin of Our Teeth, becoming the only writer to be awarded that coveted honor for two different genres - fiction and drama.
The Skin of Our Teeth is an allegorical play and one of the most provocative, enduring, and amusing plays ever written and is currently on stage at A Noise Within. Penned in 1942, the production opened on Broadway to rave reviews. Directed by Elia Kazan, it starred Fredric March, Florence Eldridge, Tallulah Bankhead, and Montgomery Clift. The work has withstood the passage of time and still stands as a warning of not only what is facing our planet, but of the destiny of mankind, illuminating catastrophic events facing the survival of all species, past, present, and future. Lest you think the play is doom and gloom, I'm here to assure you that because of the brilliance of his script, the excellent direction by Julia Rodriguz-Elliott and Geoff Elliott, who assembled an excellent cast, you will be entertained from beginning to end. The play incorporates various styles of theatre from Commedia dell'Arte and farce to burlesque, satire, and realism. However, the theme is consistent - the story of "Everyman" and his quest to survive catastrophic conditions including The Ice Age, floods, and multiple wars prevalent since the beginning of time.
Following a fascinating array of clips depicting various violent acts of Mother Nature, well put together by Projection Designer Nicholas Santiago, the action segues to the home of George Antrobus (Frederick Stuart) and his wife Maggie (Trisha Miller) in Excelsior, New Jersey where their maid Sabina (Ann Noble) breaks the fourth wall and recites her opening monologue directly to the audience. (Edited)
Oh, Oh, Oh! Six O'clock and the master's not home yet. Pray God nothing has happened to him crossing the Hudson River. Here it is the middle of August and the coldest day of the year.... the dogs are sticking to the sidewalk...
Mr. Antrobus arrives home announcing to his wife of 5,000 years (not a typo) and his son Henry, a.k.a. Cain, (Christian Henley) daughter Gladys (Mildred Marie Langford) that a mammoth iceberg is headed down from Canada. This "Everyman" family has suffered and survived catastrophic events as far back as biblical days and is once again struggling to survive the impending Ice Age, floods, and a possible war. Their biggest task at the moment is to keep the fire burning and Mrs. Antrobus instructs Sabina to "Make sure the fire doesn't go out," sending her upstairs for furniture to burn to ensure its continuance. Mr. Atrobus is a very clever man and over time invented the wheel, the alphabet, the multiplication table, and the lever, illuminating man's creativity. Rounding out the family are their household pets - a dinosaur (Micah Schneider) and a woolly mammoth (Veronica McFarlane.) As it gets colder and colder, refugees. seeking shelter. First Mrs. Atrobus says "no," but her husband insists they help and asks each of them to take a slat of wood from the front fence for burning purposes, gaining them access.
Act II takes place in Atlantic City on another gorgeous set by Scenic Designer Frederica Nascimento and colorful costumes by Designer Garry Lennon. Mr. Antrobus has been elected "President of the Ancient and Honorable Order of Mammals, Subdivision Human." Following his acceptance speech, the family goes off to enjoy themselves, leaving him alone and alas, he succumbs to the feminine wiles of Sabina, now known as Lily Sabina who he chose as Miss Atlantic City. Perhaps another veiled reference to biblical events depicting sinful activities. The weather shifts and it becomes clear that a bad storm is approaching with the threat of a flood. The family, along with the animals, seek refuge on a ship bearing a great resemblance to the famous "Ark" and they file on two by two.
Act III: Mr. Antrobus, a soldier, returns to his tattered home. Wearing a uniform, Sabina also has returned. In the middle of the scene, the stage manager, played by Kasey Mahaffy, stops the play saying that some of the actors took ill and needed replacement. The understudies briefly rehearse their lines and the action resumes. Mr. Antrobus is depressed and doesn't know if he can start over yet again. His wife, picking up an overturned chair, says they must continue and we are rubber-banded back to Act 1. Repeating the opening scene is an allegory of pulling yourself up by the bootstraps and beginning again.
The talented ensemble includes Anthony Adu, Stella Bullock, Julia Chavez, Jacob Cherry, Yannick Haynes, Amber Liekhus, Veronica McFarlane, David A. Rangel, Landon M. Robinson, Micah Schneider, Maya Sta. Ana, and Cassandra Marie Murphy, as the fortune teller.
As an audience member, please suspend your disbelief and go along for this chaotic, seemingly disconnected, but hilarious ride. It really is basically the story of "Every Man" through the ages and a testament to the resilience and determination of the human spirit, that even in the face of the most challenging, catastrophic events, we manage to survive by the skin of our teeth.