Desire Under the Elms

Director Dámaso Rodriguez's revival of Eugene O'Neill's 20th-century reimagining of a classic Greek tragedy benefits from eloquent stagecraft and performances infused with passionate conviction. The 1924 family drama, set on a Connecticut farm in the mid-19th century, isn't generally cited among the top tier of O'Neill's works. It's somewhat long-winded and occasionally veers to melodrama. Nonetheless, this finely etched rendition proves a worthwhile revisit of a seldom-produced O'Neill play.

Freudian undercurrents and lofty source material—Euripides' "Hippolytus"—converge in O'Neill's sizzling portrait of a hotbed of conflicts in an embittered New England domicile. Betrayal, lust, rivalry for real estate, and familial baggage rear their heads. As the play opens, Eben Cabot (Jason Dechert) and his burly half-brothers (amusingly played by Stephen Rockwell and Christopher Fairbanks) bemoan the selfish and irresponsible ways of their absentee father, Ephraim (William Dennis Hunt), who has left the sons in charge of caring for the home and farmland. Eben plans to claim the property, which was originally owned by his beloved late mother, who had been mistreated by Ephraim. When Ephraim returns home with an attractive young bride, Abbie (Monette Magrath), we learn that this newcomer has her own plans to gain ownership of the property. What no one bargained for was that a steamy affair would erupt between Eben and Abbie or that she would become pregnant with a child whose father is in question. The reckless power plays that ensue lead to calamity.

Dechert and Magrath keep the heat burning in their compelling depiction of a fateful attraction. Dechert expertly conveys Eben's barely suppressed fury and his determination to make sure familial sins of the past are paid for. Magrath's fiery characterization—part temptress, part desperate woman in love—is forceful and credible. Hunt provides a terrific turn as the self-serving patriarch, deftly alternating moments of ruthlessness and regret.

Rodriguez and his design team capture the play's potent mix of poetic grace and realism. The metaphorical images of elm-tree branches ominously hovering over the household are expressively depicted in John Iacovilli's scenic design and James P. Taylor's superbly textured lighting. Iacovilli's two-level farmhouse set boasts a splendid burnished-brown authenticity. Com­poser-violinist Endre Balogh performs his marvelous original music, fiddling pretty much everywhere except on the roof.

Presented by and at A Noise Within, 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. Nov. 19-Dec. 18. Repertory schedule. (626) 356-3100, ext. 1. www.anoisewithin.org.