‘Opening Night’

DIRECTOR TO ACTRESS: (L-R) Fedja Van Huet, playing the director Manny, talks to his fragile star Myrtle played by Elsie De Brauw in the multi-media experience, “Opening Night.” (Richard Termine)

NEW YORK—Based on the late John Cassavetes’s acclaimed film “Opening Night,” Flemish avant-garde director Ivo van Hove has directed and co-created with the assistance of his theater group, Toneelgroep Amsterdam, and the Belgian company NTGent, a stage version, on view briefly as part of BAM’s 2008 Next Wave Festival.

Unconventional and provocative, the play melds acting, video, music, and fluid set changes. Video cameras follow the onstage action, while a large monitor positioned high above the stage shows the scenes in close-up, with English titles. The play is in Dutch, but van Hove’s methods make everything crystal clear.

The story follows a star actress, Myrtle (Elsie de Brauw), past her prime as she rehearses a play in which her former husband Maurice (Jacob Derwig) plays opposite her. She is particularly distressed because, as his character, Maurice must slap her. Myrtle has difficulty separating her former personal reality from the present reality of a theatrical presentation. She flinches and even falls to the floor in fear of his approach. Outsiders might see Myrtle as temperamental, but the company understands her angst and humors her.

Myrtle is even having great difficulty in grabbing onto the role, that of a woman past her prime desperately trying to hold onto her youth. It’s a bit too close to home. It’s also rather late in the game, as opening night approaches. There are conflicts with the playwright, Sarah (Chris Nietvelt), who argues with Myrtle on interpretation

The company presently rehearses scenes during the day and plays previews at night. To complicate matters, a young, attractive fan encounters Myrtle, and immediately after obtaining her autograph and leaving the theater, is fatally struck by a car. Now Myrtle, somehow identifying with the girl, Nancy (Hadewych Minis), goes into an emotional tailspin. Regrets of the past and current insecurities flood her. Myrtle often brings Nancy back to life in her imagination (in these sequences Nancy is onstage and visible to the audience but not to Myrtle’s colleagues).

The imaginary encounters with the deceased Nancy wear on Myrtle and she begins to break down emotionally, in spite of efforts by the sympathetic producer, David (Johan van Assche) and the director, Manny (Fedja van Huet).

Events escalate and Myrtle unexpectedly leaves the theater. The company is in panic. It is now opening night. Will the star appear?

What we have witnessed is a maelstrom of ideas and activity. The constant movement onstage keeps the audience alert. In fact, a small portion of the audience is seated onstage, stage left—approximately 75 people, I think. They are viewing the proceedings from a different vantage point than those of us out front.

On the play-within-a-play’s opening night, a curtain is drawn, closing off the onstage audience from the activities. Then producer David goes and makes an announcement of apology to this segment of the audience, for the tardiness of the play’s beginning.

As for van Hove’s concept, as mentioned, several video cameramen onstage continually film the proceedings; several TV monitors placed about the stage simultaneously display the action. Set pieces are moved about to create various environments. There is, in short, constant movement—a kind of moving picture, might one say?

Performances of this company, which has worked together for a long time, are impeccably second nature to them. Shining particularly is Elsie de Brauw, who has the glowing opportunity to display the most intense and deeply personal of emotions. Also particularly fine is the young Hadewych Minis, whose Nancy both entices and offends.

But all are excellent.

Director Ivo van Hove is particularly noted throughout Europe, where his productions have appeared in various international festivals. He works closely with his set designer, Jan Versweyveld, resident scenographer of Toneelgroep Amsterdam.

“Opening Night” presents a deep and penetrating dip into the world of theater and an avant-garde treatment of same.

Opening Night
BAM Harvey Theater
651 Fulton Street
Brooklyn
Tickets: BAM Ticket Services or [phone] or www.BAM.org
Closes: Dec. 6

Note: Director Ivo van Hove will be in conversation with playwright Charles L. Mee on Dec. 6 at 4:30 p.m., in the BAM Hillman Attic Studio. Tickets available via BAM Ticket Services.

Diana Barth reviews theater and film for various publications, including the arts newsletter “New Millennium.” For information: [email protected]