Steppenwolf revival adds new layers to Albee's 'Virginia Woolf'

You think reinventing a classic like "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" poses a challenge? Try humanizing George and Martha, the famously dysfunctional duo around whom Edward Albee centers his landmark drama about combative spouses waging scorched earth campaigns against each other.

Pam MacKinnon, director of Steppenwolf Theatre's highly anticipated revival of the 1962 drama, accomplishes that and more. A keen, highly experienced interpreter of Albee's plays, MacKinnon tones down the bombast, dials up the mordant humor and unleashes the raw power and pathos of Albee's script. The result is a distinctive, enlightening, refreshingly unforced production that unfolds not as a slap in the face, but as a painful grip on the upper arm that pulls you back from the brink.

One of the most striking things about MacKinnon's production aside from the exceptional quartet she's assembled is its humor. This production generates more laughs than any other I can recall. They begin the moment we meet George (Tracy Letts), a middle-aged, middling professor at a New England college, and Martha (Amy Morton), his older, sharp-tongued wife, as they return home following a faculty mixer hosted by Martha's college president father. Their well-timed banter comes across as playful (if somewhat weary), rather than outright caustic, suggesting that affection although difficult to discern underscores this functionally malicious marriage.

Of course it does.

Vitriol alone couldn't sustain George and Martha's 23-year union; there has to be love. Ultimately, that's what "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" is. It's a love story, which is splendidly realized by longtime Steppenwolf ensemble members and collaborators Letts and Morton, whose redoubtable performances will likely become a benchmark for Chicago area actors taking on these roles.

Martha typically comes across as a boozy, braying harridan who steamrolls over everyone in her path. Morton, an actress of tremendous depth and admirable restraint, rejects that stereotypical approach. Instead she gives us a subtle, more susceptible and, ultimately, more human Martha: a deeply wounded woman who recognizes she may lose not just the game she's playing, but the only partner able to comprehend the stakes.

That brings us to Letts, whose razor-sharp, meticulously crafted George emerges as a kind of puppet master who appears to cede center stage to his wife. But ultimately, it's George who animates and propels the drama that results during the couple's alcohol-fueled encounter with two guests who stop by for a nightcap and stay for confrontations, recriminations and revelations.

Those guests 28-year-old biology teacher Nick (the cool, calculating Madison Dirks, convincing as a not so innocuous Machiavel) and his mousy wife Honey (a touching, quite funny Carrie Coon) are civilian casualties of sorts. They would be wise to heed the cautionary tale the older couple imparts but lack the perception to do so.

Their encounter unfolds on Todd Rosenthal's cluttered, untidy set with its faded floral furniture and abstract expressionist accent painting. Worthy of note are the dozens upon dozens of books. Piled under side tables, straining floor-to-ceiling shelves and spilling from an unused fireplace, they are the perfect metaphor for a couple whose skill at spinning tales is unsurpassed.

I recently quipped how fortunate it is that George and Martha found each other. Had they not, this domestic duo would have subjected two other undeserving schlubs to their full-on assaults. Seeing MacKinnon's artful reinvention, I still think how fortunate it is that George and Martha found each other: They are perfect mates who possess the patience and compassion necessary to ease the other's tormented soul.

“Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

Location: Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org

Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through Feb. 13; also 2 p.m. Jan. 19, 26 and Feb. 2 and 9; no 7:30 p.m. performances Dec. 24, 25 and Jan. 1

Running time: About three hours with intermissions

Tickets --$20- -$75

Parking: -$9 in adjacent Steppenwolf garage

Rating: For adults, strong language and subject matter