richard termine
Hugh Jackman is enigmatic as The Man in "The River."
THEATER REVIEW
THE RIVER
New Broadway play, at the Circle In the Square, 1633 Broadway.
Written by Jez Butterworth. Directed by Ian Rickson.
With Hugh Jackman, Cush Jumbo and Laura Donnelly.
Schedule: 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 7 p.m. Wednesday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets: $35 to $175. 212-239-6200, or telecharge.com.
"The River," which opened Sunday at the Circle in the Square, starring a very good Hugh Jackman, is an enigma, but not a frustrating one: It gives you a fair shot at resolving its mystery to your own satisfaction — although you won't be sure if that's what the playwright, Jez Butterworth, had in mind.
A man (Jackman) has brought his girlfriend (Cush Jumbo) — the characters are unnamed — to his remote cabin, where he plans to take her fishing for sea trout, his great passion in life. ("Once a year, when there's no moon. Late summer, when the river's in spate, that's when they move. The sea trout. The sea trout are running!")
After they argue, lightly, about whether she'll accompany him — she's not that interested — the next scene begins with the man frantically phoning the police to report a missing woman.
The call is interrupted by the sound of a door opening, and then a female voice.
When she enters, it's a different woman (Laura Donnelly), a bit less sophisticated, more playful and eager than the first woman.
As the mind whirrs, trying to figure out what's happened — is it a dream; a ghost; is it really another woman; is this happening right after the first scene; is it the man's memory of something past — the story continues on its way.
The second woman has caught a fish, which, in a long, silent, oddly compelling scene, the man guts, cleans and bakes, along with vegetable sides he's prepared. (Jackman does this so competently, with a masculine yet delicate efficiency, he could be in line for his own cooking show.)
Subsequently, the first woman and the second alternate, in scenes that are often similar — each asks the man how many other girlfriends he's invited to the cabin — but not quite the same.
The man, handsome and clever, is quick to say, "I love you." The women, though obviously smitten, hang back. There's something about him, a melancholy in his eyes, a roteness to his emotions. Why is he most alive when he talks about fishing?
Butterworth's dialogue is a little self-consciously poetic at times, but, masterfully directed by Ian Rickson, the evening is consistently taut and engrossing. While it may be elusive, the play offers enough information for us to make connections.
Staging difficulties
The theater's configuration, with the audience seated around three sides of the long, rectangular stage, adds the pull of intimacy. (The drawback of staging a play in the almost-round is that a rotating segment of the audience is always looking at the back of an actor's head.)
The performers have the challenge of holding back. They need to suggest, rather than reveal, who their characters are, to tease us with indirection.
Each of the actresses (if you're wondering, Cush Jumbo — her real name — is an attractive young Englishwoman) does this very well, but it's Jackman's character, sometimes intense, other times oddly remote, who fascinates us.
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