A 'Tea' to remember - Noel Desiato shines as the incomparable Katharine Hepburn
2008-02-01
"Attention to detail, my dears, is the key to life," an aging Katharine Hepburn notes during the second act of Matthew Lombardo's "Tea at Five"—and it is attention to detail, and the unfaltering talent ,and brilliant timing of Noel Desiato as Katharine Hepburn, that makes TheatreWorks New Milford's one-woman show a true tour de force. There is no impersonation here; no actress trying to portray the Hollywood and Broadway titan. Ms. Desiato is Katharine Hepburn, and for 90 minutes, we are Ms. Hepburn's guests at her paradise on Earth, her Fenwick estate in Old Saybrook.
The late Katharine Hepburn will always be remembered as a feisty woman, full spunk and grit at a time in America when such attributes in a woman were not valued. She had an iron will and courage, and a reputation for being brutally honest. She was a force to be reckoned with on stage, and off, and nothing, it seemed, could stand in her way. In "Tea at Five," we see both the fiery and witty sides of the actress, but Mr. Lombardo's script also reveals a more vulnerable side rarely—if ever—exposed to the public.
When the show opens, we meet a 31-year-old Katharine Hepburn recalling the dizzying heights and devastating lows of her career, while awaiting a call from her*agent about the role of Scarlett in "Gone with the Wind."
Brimming with humor, the first act is a whirlwind of tales, documenting her career ups and downs, from her amusing first meeting with John Barrymore with whom she starred in "Bill of Divorcement," to her later labeling as "box office poison" ("Has a nice ring to it, don't you agree?" she asks). She also shares her absolute aversion to calla lilies following her performance in "The Lake" on Broadway—complete with the now-famous Dorothy Parker quote about that performance ("She delivered a striking performance that ran the gamut of emotions, from A to B.") — and Ms. Desiato delivers it all with sardonic gusto.
Tea, a sacrosanct event each day at 5 p.m. in the Hepburn household, is often interrupted—by calls from her ex-husband, and from agent and former lover Leland Hayward, who is trying to help her nail the role of Scarlett O'Hara in a last ditch hope to save her career following seven flops. In typical Hepburn fashion, however, she is bold and confident, and she has some rather acerbic comments to share, each of which score laughs from the audience.
She touches on her early childhood, the controlling father she always tried to please—and then the disappointing news arrives that Vivien Leigh will be Scarlett O'Hara, and we see a very different, more vulnerable side of the actress. Saving the moment is the coincidental arrival of the Phillip Barry script for "The Philadelphia Story," which would transform Hepburn from "box office poison" to stage and screen legend.
With clever quips and astounding wit—and an ample amount of self-deprecating humor—it is as if Hepburn herself is upon the stage, exploring the highs and lows of her career. In a test of her acting prowess, Ms. Desiato shows the audience another side of Kate, her emotional shifts running the gamut from A to Z. It is a brilliant sight to watch upon the stage.
The second act, while retaining humorous moments (including an uproarious anecdote about New York neighbor and composer Stephen Sondheim), is more emotionally wrought. Set in 1983, a now 76-year-old Hepburn is back at Fenwick, which was rebuilt following its destruction in the 1938 hurricane approaching in the first act. This day, she is preparing a tea for one. Following a car accident that left her in a walking cast she despises and palsied by Parkinson's, a disease she denies, she begins to reflect upon her life. This is where the normally spry and witty Hepburn, who guards her privacy, reveals a more vulnerable and reflective woman. Reliving the devastating effects of her beloved brother's suicide when she was just 14, the Hepburn curse, as well as her tumultuous and complex relationship with Spencer Tracy, Ms. Desiato exposes a Hepburn rarely seen.
Before the lights come up on the stage, the audience can see the effects of the palsy by the fireplace light. From the first line of dialogue, the audience knows this is Kate. Ms. Desiato effortlessly captures the distinct tone and clenched-jaw diction that were Hepburn's hallmark.
The emotional tug-of-war required in this second act could become melodramatic in a lesser, actress' hands, but Ms. Desiato never falters, and it is in these moments that she shines, giving a performance unlike any other upon that stage. One believes she carries the weight of the Hepburn family on her shoulders, has learned to endure the heartache and betrayals of her life, and we begin to see a side of the actress that was never revealed in public. She isn't a Hollywood titan here, but a woman who realizes no one can ever have it all.
Ms. Desiato's performance is staggeringly honest, charged with what Katharine Hepburn once equated to stardom— pure electricity. After seeing her powerhouse performance in TheatreWorks' "Medea," it was hard to imagine that Ms. Desiato could top that remarkable performance, but she has done so here, apparently effortlessly. For 90 minutes, we aren't watching an actress on the stage portraying Katharine Hepburn; we are having an intimate "Tea at Five" with the fiery redhead herself.
Helping to bring this remarkable story to life is a set designed by co-director Joe Russo and set dressing by Bill Hughes. The two also teamed up on set design and costuming for TheatreWorks' staging of the Hepburn classic, "The Philadelphia Story" in December. From the effects of a hurricane sweeping down on her Fenwick estate, to fresh flowers and a roaring fire— Hepburn always had fresh flowers in every room and burned a fire in her hearth even in the summer—we are at Fenwick. And if you look closely enough in the second act, the picture of Katharine Hepburn that sat there during "The Philadelphia Story" has been replaced by one of Spencer Tracy on the bookcase.
Kudos must also go to directors Jane Farnol and Joe Russo for their direction in serving up this most brilliant one-woman show that will not soon be forgotten. "Tea at Five" is among the most stirring, breathtaking productions ever produced by TheatreWorks. It is a tea not to be missed, but for Ms. Hepburn's sake, don't forget the cookies.