“The Night of the Iguana” is Williams last successful play. It was written to show old and middle aged people trying to straighten themselves out, looking for their future as worth being in.
Williams major player, a defrocked minister noted for sexual chasing of young women puts it, “My life has cracked up on me.” Not exactly, you might say, a winning idea for a first-rate play, one still done around the world, still argued over, still making theater-goers think.
“Iguana” is set in a small town on the western coast of Mexico. A place of great beauty along with much trouble and pain. Williams places together a number of folks, ranging from a middle aged woman trying to keep her elderly grandfather together long enough to write one more piece of poetry, to have one more good time. They arrive at a broken down hotel run by a middle aged women who loves sex and does not care if you like that, or not.
Then, arrives Williams’ leading person, the Rev. T. Lawrence Shannon, a beaten down guy who still looks for a revival, a chance to live well, again.
And, oh yes, there’s also a couple of Nazis, out for a good time, as they cheer when they hear on the radio of German aircraft smashing London in this play set in 1940. Then throw in some others, such as easygoing locals like Pedro and Pancho, along with a hard-driving middle aged teacher taking care of a group of young women from the on-coming of Shannon.
“Whew” you might well be saying “That’s a lot to deal with.” It sure is. But director Fred Sullivan Jr. has given this “Iguana” a skipping pace. On a greenish setting of the hotel that is colorful, at least, this show moves quickly. There’s lots of fun, lots of alcohol, lots of anger, lots of fear, and some hope, too.
As the centerpiece of all this, the Gamm’s leader, Tony Estrella, lives up to one of Williams’ quicksilver lines in which Shannon remarks that “I have fever!” And so does Estrella.
At first, his portrayal seems somehow too-vital you could say. His fast moving, fast shouting seems a bit over the top. More like a young man than a middle-aged guy on the way down. But as the play careens on, Estrella catches the feeling of need in Shannon.
Despite the man’s faults you can catch his needs too.
There are other super performances. Jeanine Kane is splendid as the granddaughter. She makes you love her love of her grandfather and you also see her needs, too, in a solid performance.
Deb Martin is both charming and driven as the lady-who-loves-sex. Michelle L. Walker is wildly charming as the teacher trying to keep the schoolgirls away from all this. And notably it is a major treat to see Sam Babbitt back on stage as the grandfather/poet.
He spent over 20 years as the president of the theater’s board as well as occasionally being on stage.
So, in all, this version of “The Night of the Iguana” comes through. It’s not everyone’s cup of whiskey. But it’s also Americana indeed.
“The Night of the Iguana” continues at the Gamm Theatre in Warwick through November 4th. Bill Gale reviews the performing arts for The Public’s Radio .
