University of Virginia Library

Less Pretentious

Even though "A Delicate
Balance" is one of Albee's
better, less pretentious plays, it
still requires much thought and
careful interpretation. There is
an elevated and often poetic
quality to his dialogue which
creates certain pitfalls for
actors. The one serious flaw in
the Players' production, which
Arthur Greene has staged, is
that sometimes the actors fail
to make their lines sound
spontaneous; they recite
dramatically, but in so doing
negate the reality of the
character who is speaking. In
other words, there is
sometimes too much emphasis
on how something is said and
too little on what is being said.

This, however, is an
occasional and certainly not
pervasive failing. It is most
evident in Barbara Slafkosky's
otherwise capable portrayal of
Agnes. Although she looks too
young for the part, Miss
Slafkosky has all the
matriarchal stateliness and
dignity that one would expect
of a woman of Agnes' station.

There are two perfectly
calculated performances on
display here, and director
Greene deserves credit for
eliciting them from Ellen
Mease and George Black. Miss
Mease's bravura playing of
Claire reinforces her status as
the finest dramatic actress in
the area. She strikes just the
right balance of cynicism,
protective humor, and
feminine omniscience that the
role calls for. Her Claire is a
desperate woman drowning her
insecurities in alcohol; funny
one minute, tragic the next,
and always fascinating.