Orlando, a play by Sarah Ruhl adapted from the novel by Virginia Woolf, at Classic Stage Company.
In "Orlando" Sarah Ruhl has once again found the fusion of magic, myth, humor and enchantment that marked her sublime "Eurydice." "Orlando," which lasts two hours with one ten minute intermission, waves a spell that is only occasionally punctuated by laughter. Ruhl's quirky absurdist sensibility matches well with this great anamorphic love story penned by Woolf to Vita Sackville-West. And in "Orlando" Ruhl may have created her finest work to date, a masterwork to stand with and perhaps surpass "Eurydice."
The performances by five gifted actors, two of whom are beautiful women and three men of middling appearance, are phenomenal. In the lead role, Francesca Faridany who has lurked on the fringe of fame should at last achieve a breakthrough. Faridnay, mesmerizingly beautiful in her man/woman transformation, in and out of clothes, gives a towering performance that should land her several off-Broadway awards. Particularly noteworthy is the poetic reading of her lines both narrative and dialogue, lines that stick in the memory like "The dead have wonderful memories."
Annika Boras is gorgeous and haunting as Sasha and the three men are remarkable in several roles including Queen Elizabeth. The stagecraft in the diminutive space is startlingly creative. Movement and dance is choreographed by Annie-B Parson and the direction by Rebecca Taichman is award-worthy. So too is the spellbinding music by Christian Frederickson and Ryan Rumery. It is quite likely that "Orlando" will be the most talked about play of the early season, if not the year. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test grade A+