No one is better at unmasking the desperation of Everyman than Arthur Miller. In this hard-hitting 1955 drama, Brooklyn longshoreman Eddie Carbone is growing increasingly desperate. Miller plays brilliantly with classic Greek tragedy here to craft a modernized story of a man who can't admit his love and lustful feelings for his young niece, and won't recognize the strain it puts on his marriage. The end is, inevitably, disastrous and bloody as Eddie struggles vainly against overwhelming urges and desires he cannot control.
Every aspect of International City Theatre's production of this show is first-rate. Don Llewellyn's tall brick tenement building is partially cut away to expose Eddie's shabby but comfortable living room (where much of the action takes place), and the stairs leading to the upper apartments. Rand Ryan's lighting adds a shadowy atmosphere, and from Eddie's dull flannel shirts to his niece Catherine's trim new skirt with the slip that occasionally flirts and slips, Kim DeShazo has made a perfect match of character and costume.
Director Shashin Desai has put together a terrific ensemble of actors. Ramy Zada is completely compelling as Eddie, a good-hearted man who starts to spin jealously out of control when Catherine's (the marvelous Tina Gasbarra) naive affection shifts more appropriately, and sexually, to a handsome young immigrant named Rodolpho (Blake Shields, who handles a difficult role with enormous grace). Mark Piatelli is impressive as Rodolpho's older brother, the feisty, furious Marco, who will defend his family name to the death. Laura Julian, who played Catherine in the 1964-'65 revival with Robert Duvall and Jon Voight, here plays Eddie's wife, Beatrice, with pride and strength. And Ric Mancini, who began his career playing Marco in that same production, here puts a thoughtful take on the role of narrator, local lawyer, and Greek chorus representative, Mr. Alfieri.
Special notice is also due dialect coach Joel Goldes, who kept Brooklyn and Sicilian accents clear, distinct, and recognizable, and sound designer Max Kinberg, whose musical compositions set just the right tone for this powerful production.