Playwright: William Inge
At: Eclipse Theatre Company, The Athenaeum, 2936 N. Southport. Tickets: 773-935-6875; AthenaeumTheatre.org; $35. Runs through: May 20
Natural Affectiona 1962 Broadway failuresignaled the critical decline of William Inge ( 1913-1973 ) after a decade of theatrical success. However, Inge's critical reputation has rebounded, and productions of Natural Affection in 2005 ( at the Artistic Home here ) and 2013 ( off-Broadway ) were praised. Even so, it's a difficult play to like, although the rewards for performers are obvious, and are fully-realized in this Eclipse production.
Natural Affection is overwrought and fraught. It's tense and fervid from the start, with three overlapping storylines screaming "conflict" without subtlety. The violent ending is strongly foreshadowed, but shocking nonetheless because it was expected sooner with a different victim.
The play revolves around Sue Barker ( excellent Diane Coates ), an unwed mother at 18 who's worked hard to become a well-dressed, well-spoken department store buyer. Now in her mid-30s, she lives in modest comfort with Bernie Slovenk ( appealing Luke Daigle ), a younger car salesman. Their highly sexual relationship is not without love, but Sue out-earns Bernie which rankles. Sue's son, Donnie ( intense Terry Bell ), spent his childhood in orphanages whenever Sue couldn't provide care. In trouble at 14, Donnie was sent to a work farm where he was physically ( and maybe sexually ) abused. Now 17, he's home for Christmas and need not return to "the cage" if Sue will keep him ... but what will Bernie say? Donnie is emotionally inchoate and non-verbal and the three must share a studio apartment.
However, Inge repeatedly diverts attention from mother-and-child "natural affection," mostly through late-40s Vince ( an almost too-convincing Joe McCauley ) and his ruttish younger wife Claire ( an equally convincing Cassidy Slaughter-Mason ), who has occasional flings with Bernie. Then Bernie loses his job, Donnie catches Bernie and Claire making out, Vince gets belligerently drunk, Claire goes after Donnie ... and Sue must choose between Donnie and Bernie, triggering the violent end.
There's far too much on the plate before Inge swings back to Donnieignored for much of the playin a primal, Freudian way at the end. It's not smooth playwriting, but the roles are challenging and juicy, and this cast catches fire under director Rachel Lambert. The characters largely are self-absorbed and untenderexcept for Sue occasionallybut the performances are full-blooded.
Natural Affection is a period piece today, with its anti-gay cracks ( Inge was closeted and self-loathing ), Sue's conflicts over career vs. marriage/relationship, the failures of male dominance and an inarticulate young man ( Donnie ) who is beyond damaged.
Vince's Act II drunk tirade is the most telling scene. Vince is successful and precisely Inge's age as he expresses complete disillusionment with life, admits hetero-normative failure and manages a dig at Tennessee Williams, Inge's sometimes-friend and mentor. It's a bitterly amusing, thorny diversion from the play's real business.