Theater Review: A View From The Bridge

 

                        A View from the Bridge

Playwright Arthur Miller is back, this time in a splendid if depressing “View from the Bridge” that runs through Oct. 6 at North Coast Repertory Theatre. 

The Tony Award-winning play, set in a tight-knit Italian-American community in 1950s Brooklyn, illustrates how difficult family relationships can be when love, desire and obsession intrude.

Richard Baird* plays Eddie Carbone, a longshoreman married to a perfectly fine lady named Beatrice (Margot White*). They have a niece named Catherine (Marie Zolezzi), of whom Eddie is jealous. He accuses her of “walkin’ wavy,” and she wants to leave home and apply for a job near the Navy Yard.

When two new Italian longshoremen named Marco (Lowell Byers*) and Rodolpho (Coby Rogers) show up, they’re invited to stay, but Eddie will get nervous about that very soon because Rodolpho is blond and takes a liking to Catherine when he sees her. 

The story will get more complicated, but is explained from time to time by the lawyer Alfieri (Frank Corrado*), who lives in the neighborhood and enters the scene now and again to explain it all to us.

Will Catherine eventually get away from the family and find her own life? Will Eddie stop trying to run everybody’s life and become a reasonable husband to his wife?

You’ll have to see the play to find out. NCRT’s David Ellenstein does a fine job of directing this difficult and yes, depressing play. 

Ellenstein is helped by his usual coterie of helpers. Marty Burnett gives us a simple but effective set and Matthew Novotny’s lighting design is effective. Elisa Benzoni* has designed timely-looking costumes, and Ian Scot does a fine job on the sound design. Congratulations also to props designer Kevin Williams and Peter Herman for the hair and wig designs.

“A View From the Bridge” is a tough one to watch, but Arthur Miller has written a gem of a story and North Coast Rep does it proud. Congratulations, tutti.

• The actor or stage manager appears through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association/United Scenic Artists

The details

“A View From The Bridge” plays through October 6, 2024 at North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive in Solana Beach.

Shows Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday at 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Added matinees at 2 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13 and Wednesday, Oct. 7. A talkback session with the director and cast is scheduled for Sept. 20.

Tickets: (858) 481-1055 or boxoffice.northcoastrep.org