Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The singular Taylor Mac stars in a spirited revival of Sarah Ruhl’s stage version of ORLANDO, putting the focus on queerness

• By drediman
• May 5, 2024
• No Comments

Just like its title character, Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel Orlando has withstood the test of time. Beginning as a sort of literary oddity, the piece has proved to be ahead of its time time and time again, eventually emerging as a poetic meditation on gender and feminism that still manages to speak to our current times with striking relevance. As such, it’s unsurprising that it has spawned numerous theatrical adaptations, namely Sarah Ruhl’s 2010 stage version (originally presented Off-Broadway at Classic Stage Company), as well as Neil Bartlett 2022 West End vehicle for Emma Corrin (the non-binary actress who played Princess Diana in The Crown); the work also takes up a segment of Wayne McGregor’s mesmerizing evening-length dance piece Woolf Works.

Currently over at the Pershing Square Signature Center, you’ll be able to find Signature Theatre Company’s Off-Broadway revival of Ruhl’s spirited adaptation. With the singular Taylor Mac now taking on the slippery title role, the piece strikes a vastly different cadence than it did back in 2010. Indeed, fourteen years onward, the work’s feminist sheen has worn off. Instead, the production re-focuses its attention on queerness and the fluidity of identity — notions that are particularly pertinent as it relates to the current discussions surrounding transgender issues. That being said, I did miss the undercurrent of sensuality of Bartlett’s take on the Woolf novel, and there are some passages that could use more clarity. But as a satiric romp across swaths of time and locations, it’s a dizzying ride.

By and large, Will Davis’s inventive, deceptively simple staging is a treat, utilizing the expansive stage of the Diamond Theatre (Signature’s largest space) to wonderful theatrical effect, thereby matching the epic scope of Woolf’s sprawling narrative. Special kudos must be paid to costume designer Oana Botez, whose creations are as otherworldly as they are simply fabulous. As Orlando, Mac is everything you’d expect from this game-changing, larger-than-life artist, bringing defiance, feeling, and huge amount of wisdom to his performance. He’s also a brilliant comedian. Throughout, Mac is supported by a superb ensemble cast, featuring such accomplished queer talents as Lisa Kron and Nathan Lee Graham.

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ORLANDO
Off-Broadway, Play
Signature Theatre Company
1 hour, 40 minutes (with one intermission)
Through May 12