Of all the plays that ran on Broadway last season, «"Balusters", Perhaps the most profound shift in the audience's mood comes in the final moments. For much of David Lindsay-Abaire's witty satire of local politics, the audience roars with laughter as various members of the neighborhood association wriggle and debate the rules governing life in their little corner of paradise.
But in the play's drawn-out climax, the seemingly genial group president, Elliot Emerson (played by Richard Thomas), completely loses his composure when his carefully cultivated aura of authority is shattered by the arrival of newcomer Kira Marshall (Anika Noni Rose). Grabbing one of the upright posts, Elliot, like the Hulk, unleashes his inner self, smashing it against various decorative objects in Kira's living room. His fury instantly plunges the audience into despondency, and they suddenly see the full extent of the desperation that has underpinned his behavior throughout the play.
More from Gold Derby
-
The Lost Boys' Secrets: Missing Vampire Info, Bonus Endings, and a Stunning "Superpower.".
-
How Rocky Horror stars Luke Evans and Stephanie Xu dress for success: "I fought for a jockstrap.".
«"I've always said I've been honing my stage presence for years," Thomas tells Gold Derby of his experience performing Elliott's epic, wild number every night. "In this case, I thought, 'Why don't I just go all out?'"»
Jokes aside, he is a veteran of theatre and cinema whose credits include such films as «The Waltons» , «Stephen King's "It" и «Wonder Boys »" , considers this scene the culmination of a "wonderful storyline" for his character. Tony voters clearly agreed, awarding Thomas a second nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Play, one of five nominations the production received overall, along with a nomination for Best Play.
Thomas and the actors of the play "Balasty"«
«"I wouldn't call Elliot the show's villain, but for viewers who've been rooting against him for the last hour and a half, being forced to see him as a suffering, truly lost person forces them to focus on something else," Thomas notes. "And that has a noticeable impact on the other characters; something inside them is released, and they're all forced to really think about who they were and what they did.".
«"It's rare that social satire is truly so heartfelt, and that's what sets it apart from a play simply filled with ideas," the actor adds. "It's essentially a play about human nature and what people are like. Because David doesn't side with any of the characters, there's a very important humanity to the story. I see myself in Elliot as a person, I really do. Just keep the banisters off me!"»
As the creator of this scene, Lindsay-Abaire knew he'd have to play to the audience's attachment to Thomas and the memorable, engaging characters he's played over the years. "The moment he walks on stage, they think, 'Oh, that's the guy! I adore him,'" the playwright says. "And Richard's approach to Elliot is so gentle, kind, and generous; Elliot genuinely believes that everything he does comes from a place of kindness.".
«But if you dig deeper, it becomes clear that this person is desperate to control All »" Lindsay-Abaire continues. "In the end, when all this information he's been hiding is revealed, he has no choice but to act the way he did. And Richard plays it so beautifully; we see this sweet, kind veneer slowly begin to crumble throughout the play.".
One such moment occurs early in the play, when Elliot shows up in Kira's living room with a box of photographs preserving a bygone era of their neighborhood, hoping to persuade her to see things his way. "What's valuable to me about that scene is that Elliot is manipulative, but he's also blind to certain things," says Thomas. "That sets him up for the final scene, where he comes face to face with what that blindness represents. He's the antagonist who manages to to know about myself during the play.".
Kenny Leon, Chris Jennings, Nicky Hunter, David Lindsay-Abaire and Richard Thomas
When determining the scale of Elliot's climactic rage, Thomas and Lindsay-Abaire were keenly aware that they had to avoid pushing the character to a level of violence that would leave audiences completely disgusted.
«"First of all, he breaks things, not people," the actor notes. "Our director, Kenny Leon, understood that everything needed to be over-the-top, but he also stepped in and told us when it was getting too much. There's another great moment where Anika holds onto a baluster and then lets go. It brings out the laughs and takes the audience's fear level a bit, making it more humorous.".
«It also seems like this is the moment, necessary "for the audience because the environment is so hermetic," adds Lindsay-Abaire. "For something to change—and you can argue about that—it takes, changed whether something happens by the end of the play—something violent has to happen to move things forward.».
After this brutal breakup, the audience's mood shifts again, and they begin to laugh at the characters and how they reflect their own flaws. This also allows Lindsay-Abaire to end the story on a bittersweet note, laying bare all the characters' flaws, including Kira's.
«"I never wanted the audience to feel like, 'The villain's gone, and everything will be fine,'" he says. "Even the most progressive characters in the play have their blind spots. Just because Elliot's gone, these people who've spent so much time will take his place. And are they any better than him? I don't know! We'll see in the sequel.".
Starring in the play "Balastas": Jeremy Daniel
It's no coincidence that the ending «Balustrov» follows a recipe Lindsay-Abaire honed years ago while working on his Tony Award-winning musical «"Kimberly Akimbo"» . "When I was working with [composer] Jeanine Tesori on that show, we'd have moments where things would get really sad or really heartfelt," he recalls. "And then Jeanine would say, 'Okay, now we need to add a little lemon juice.'".
«"That's exactly what's happening here," Lindsay-Abaire observes, returning to the events of today. "Elliott has his moment, and it's very touching. But at the same time, it's like, 'Okay, we need to get out of this—add a little lemon juice!'"»
The Best of the Gold Derby
-
"Maybe a Happy Ending" star Darren Criss on his Tony Award nomination for his role as a robot: "Being able to play this role is a real victory.".
-
Sadie Sink on her character's "emotional rage" in "John Proctor Is Evil" and her reaction to "Stranger Things: First Shadow.".
-
«'It Should Be Illegal How Much Fun I'm Having': Lea Salonga on Playing Mrs. Lovett and Other Roles in Stephen Sondheim's 'Old Friends'.
Subscribe to the Gold Derby newsletter. Stay up-to-date with the latest news by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.