A night of a successful businessman’s family and a prospective son-in-law celebrating becomes a nightmare of revelations when an Inspector comes with news and questions about a woman’s ghastly suicide. Could the English aristocrats have been involved? If so, how? FSU/Asolo Conservatory’s revival of J. B. Priestley’s early 20th century classic supplies answers within an Edwardian atmosphere. It presents Priestly’s humane socialist philosophy vs. the characters’ greed, self-indulgence, and moralistic vacancy.
To a great room of elaborate dark wooden and leather furnishings backed centrally by a huge, shaded mirror, the Birling family comes after dinner. It’s to culminate the formal engagement of daughter Sheila to Gerald Croft (handsome, well mannered Jordan Rich). Arthur Birling, her father, a wealthy factory owner and local politician, is obviously pleased to acquire a son-in-law from an even richer manufacturer’s family.
Gerald fits all but the boastful characteristics of a capitalist like Arthur (Brian Zane, always rigorously loquacious). In a long, self-admiring speech, Arthur acclaims financial success above all else and family above others. Only his youngest son, Eric, who drinks too much, feels the need to escape and—for a while—does. (Jackson Purdy is a furtive Eric and, though he constantly drinks, doesn’t stumble or slur as much as that might really cause.)
Maid Edna (a rightly unobtrusive Caitlin Rose) announces a visit from an Inspector Goole. (Mikhail Roberts makes him cool and insistent on getting answers to his questions, but not just intrusive.) He will represent the author’s belief that people should have empathy for each other. Goole announces he’s come to investigate a ghastly poisonous suicide by a common young woman named Eva.
One by one, the Birlings show that each affected Eva adversely, beginning with Arthur firing her for having been on a few days strike for a slightly higher hourly wage. Is his explanation reasonable? Sheila isn’t, when she tries to explain how she got Eva fired from her next job. (Brielle Rivera Headrington doesn’t seem to look the part, as she doesn’t resemble at all her parents and sibling but she’s terrific at making her appearance part of Sheila’s initial reason for hurting Eva.)
Sheila has an admirable change in attitude and action later in the evening and rises morally above everyone, including Gerald. It turns out he got involved with Eva, later known as Dacy, who’d turned to prostitution. Why was it he couldn’t keep her around? Brooke Turner’s icy Sybil Birling tries to avoid admitting knowing Eva, but Goole has photographs that force Sybil to acknowledge her. As Eva Birling, the desperate, pregnant woman came to Sybil, head of a charitable organization formed to help women in such distress. Brooke Turner emphasizes Sybil’s snide, selfish smugness in refusing aid. She maintains Eva can’t be a Birling and told her to find the father responsible for her child. A rapist, he caused Eva’s problem and is obliged to help.
Eric, returning to his house, continues to drink. Still, he admits theft from the Birling accounts to try to help Eva and he meant to reform and pay the money back. Of course, as Goole points out, no one can bring back Eva or her child. Still, haven’t Eric and Sheila changed to observing kinds of reform?
It’s not long after Goole’s left, that questions are raised about whether he was really an Inspector or if all other facts of Eva’s case are accurate or even true. Does anything or anyone other than the two young Birlings change? And then the maid makes a new announcement…but how new is it?
Director Kristin Franklin, an Asolo Conservatory alum, has brought out the best in most of the actors and kept the basic action forefront throughout. Special praise goes to gorgeous women’s costumes by April Andrew Carswell and Michelle Hart’s hair designs. Standout in the fine technical work is Chris McVicker’s lighting, which changes to fit revelations and moods.
A mystery (at least on opening night) is a break in one sidewall with a jaggedly broken framed, painted picture on each side of the wall. What is that about?
