The
Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant comes off as genuine
Petra (Cristina Morrison)
By Dan Hudak
Success doesn’t always equal
happiness.
Petra von Kant is
a famous fashion designer whose two marriages have ended
badly, leaving her to sit in her home in isolated decadence
while her assistant Marlene waits on her every need. She’s a
malcontent living a life of luxury, but as “The Bitter Tears
of Petra von Kant” unfolds at the White Orchard Theater, her
happiness is solely dependent on attention from others.
Petra has no
trouble bossing around Marlene and shoo-shooing aside her
friend Sidonie, who questions her happiness and lifestyle,
but trouble starts for her with the arrival of Sidonie’s
friend Karen, a young American girl who aspires to enter the
fashion business. Her personal life is one of sadness and
torment: she’s estranged from her husband, and her father
killed her mother, and then himself. “He felt the world had
no use for him and his wife anymore,” she says to try to
explain and understand his actions.
Infatuated, Petra
invites Karen to stay with her and learn about the fashion
industry, and a romantic relationship ensues between the
two. What happens after this is full of sorrow and misery
and will remind anyone who’s ever been through a bad break
up just how devastating they can be.
Although men are
referred to, talked-moaned-groaned-and-complained about,
none appear, leaving the stage to six capable women, all of
whom perform well.
Notable
among them is Cristina Morrison as Petra, who undergoes a
tremendous range of emotions as her life disintegrates into
morbid depression. It’s easy to go too far with the
outbursts and other drastic emotional changes, but Morrison
is restrained and talented enough to make us feel for Petra
without too many histrionics.
Photography: Irina Sundukova
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Marlene
(Aurika Gronovius)
Cristina Vila’s
Karen is both earnest and coldly callous, and actually could
push each virtue a bit further during the appropriate times. Aurika Gronovius
has no lines as Marlene,
but she doesn’t need any: It’s a credit to Gronovius’
performance that we know exactly how she’s feeling and what
she’s feeling every step of the way thanks to her body language.
That she can convey so much while saying nothing is admirable.
Niki Fridh is delightful as Sidonie, while Barbara Pergament and
Ananga Pigna perform well during their limited time as Petra’s
grandmother and daughter, respectively.
Given all the
fireworks in the story, the presentation of Rainer Werner
Fassbinder’s play is surprisingly simple.
It was directed by Irina Sundukova, who also designed the
costumes, set and sound. Her hard work has paid off: It’s clear
from the couch, drawn curtain, telephone and record player that
Petra belongs to the upper class. Excessive decoration isn’t
necessary, and in fact would have served as a distraction to the
heartfelt emotions being ably conveyed by the actors.
As much as possible,
good theatre needs to be embraced in South Florida, and the
White Orchard Theatre can certainly use all the support it can
get. For the ladies especially, this one is worth an evening out
in Coconut Grove.
November 18,
2007
Coral Gables Gazette
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