On Broadway, A 'Seagull' Carried On Strong Wings

NEW YORK -- To see in succession the new Broadway revivals of "A Man for All Seasons" and "The Seagull" is to navigate between poles of theatrical impact. For if the transparent heartstring-plucking of "A Man for All Seasons" makes the heroic seem humdrum, the subtle strokes of this "Seagull" turn the endurance of the humdrum of life into something heroic.

The reasons for visiting "The Seagull" -- which arrives from London with a few new American actors but retains the intoxicating Kristin Scott Thomas as Arkadina -- lie in the emotional suppleness of an extraordinary ensemble. The argument for "Seasons," on the other hand, boils down to basking in the leonine self-assurance of Frank Langella, playing Sir Thomas More, the principled chancellor who stood his ground against Henry VIII, all the way to the chopping block.

Oftentimes, contemporary productions of Chekhov's "Seagull" leave you to wonder how all these disparate, unhappy people ended up in a room together. On this occasion, director Ian Rickson not only convinces you that the actors all belong, but also that the characters exist as nothing so fervently as persecuting figures in one another's dreams.

You laugh to yourself during the long, languid conversations on the estate of Arkadina's brother Sorin (Peter Wight), not because they are so much drenched in humor as they are in truth. "The Seagull," ensconced at the Walter Kerr Theatre, charts the confluence of wishes made and hopes dashed in the Russian countryside, all revolving around the centrifugal vanity of an aging actress, Thomas's Arkadina.

The competition between the vain Arkadina -- who needs more reassurance than a teetering toddler -- and Carey Mulligan's superb Nina, the younger would-be actress who threatens to supplant her, has rarely been evoked with such authenticity. The production allows you to see how much Arkadina's son, the afflicted Konstantin (an excellent Mackenzie Crook), attempts -- through his abject devotion to Nina -- to compensate for the affection his mother seems unable to confer.

The spectrum of completeness extends from Art Malik's Dorn -- the country doctor who, for once, makes believable both the character's compassion and legend as a local ladies' man -- to Zoe Kazan's exhibitionist rebel of a Masha. (Today, she'd be covered in tattoos and piercings.)

Peter Sarsgaard's Trigorin, the famous writer on whom Arkadina hangs, is perhaps the furthest here from a conventional portrayal. Although the magnetism isn't there on the surface, the actor makes a powerful case for his notion of Trigorin as a man both bewildered by the fuss the world makes about him and eager for the elusive confirmation that he truly is an artist. Sarsgaard's presence squares with the overarching intelligence of a mesmerizing evening.

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In "A Man for All Seasons," by contrast, the proceedings hinge on one performance. And boy, do the actors in Roundabout Theatre's revival of "Seasons," which opened last night at American Airlines Theatre, assume their places like minor orbs circling a sun. It's fun to watch Langella, in the grand way that marquee draws of yore once did more regularly on Broadway, hold sway over a historical drama. He's too resourceful an actor -- as his recent Tony-winning turn in "Frost/Nixon" attests -- to serve up Sir Thomas as mere English ham.

But even in this particular star's hands, a little bit of the character's beatific intestinal fortitude goes a long way. Langella does at times fall back on counsel from Ye Olde Handbook of Dependable Mannerisms. (When bad news is about to be communicated, this unbowed Sir Thomas braces himself by demonstratively gripping the back of the chair.) The performance ultimately contributes to the sense of "A Man for All Seasons" -- which made its Broadway debut in 1961 starring the incomparable Paul Scofield -- as overly worshipful, even fusty.

In an effort to chase away what he considered the cobwebs in Robert Bolt's literate if stately script, director Doug Hughes ("Doubt: A Parable") received permission from the writer's estate to do some streamlining. Principally, he cut a character, the Common Man, who, while essaying several smaller parts, provided commentary by directly addressing the audience, a device Hughes deemed overused.

The narrative in this production more closely resembles the structure of the acclaimed 1966 movie version (also written by Bolt) in detailing More's resistance to Henry's demand: that he recognize the king's right to divorce his queen and marry Anne Boleyn. I'd never seen the stage version before, so it's hard to gauge what's been gained -- or lost. If anything, the piece asserts itself as a lesser follow-up to Arthur Miller's "The Crucible." The connection is made more concrete by set designer Santo Loquasto's rendering of the beamed ceiling of Sir Thomas's home, reminiscent of a prominent design element of the 2002 Broadway revival of Miller's play.

Zach Grenier, as King Henry's politically astute henchman, and Maryann Plunkett, portraying Sir Thomas's simple but far from ignorant wife, offer incisively etched work here. But this is Langella's vehicle, and though it's an agreeably plush costume drama, it also feels as if it's got a lot of mileage on it.

A Man for All Seasons, by Robert Bolt. Directed by Doug Hughes. Costumes, Catherine Zuber; lighting, David Lander; original music and sound, David Van Tieghem. With Peter Bradbury, Michael Gill, Hannah Cabell, Dakin Matthews, Michael Esper, Patrick Page. About 2 hours 45 minutes. Through Dec. 7 at American Airlines Theatre, 227 W. 42nd St. Call 212-719-1300 or visit http://www.roundabouttheatre.org.

The Seagull, by Anton Chekhov. Directed by Ian Rickson. Sets and costumes, Hildegard Bechtler; lighting, Peter Mumford; sound, Ian Dickinson; composer, Stephen Warbeck. With Pearce Quigley, Ann Dowd, Julian Gamble. About 2 hours 45 minutes. Through Dec. 21 at Walter Kerr Theatre, 219 W. 48th St. Call 212-239-6200 or visit http://www.telecharge.com.