Word: val
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...deadly, soporific rhythm of their lives is suddenly disrupted by the arrival of a drifter named Val Xavier (Aaron Caughey). The young musician conjures up the spirits of a seemingly irretrievable past full of terrifying secrets. His every movement is "suggestive," in Lady's words, and his raw sensuality proves irresistible to her. In Williams' world, acts of love are both sacred and shameful. And as repressed sexual desire brings Val and Lady together, the threads of the family's ignominious past are slowly unraveled...
Caughey gives one of the play's best performances as the threateningly sensual Val. He captures the character's odd brand of innocence as well as the raw sexuality which makes him so appealing to Lady. Melanie Martinez gives a subtle and moving performance, embodying the queer mixture of honesty and artifice that constitute Lady Torrence's character. Somewhat less successful is Liz Amberg as Carol Cutrere, a woman whose shameful past and rebellious nature both frighten and fascinate the towns "respectful" citizens. The actress' performance doesn't always have the power to sustain the scenes where Carol acts...
...play's climax, Jabe, in a jealous rage, tries to kill Val and inadvertently shoots his wife. Making what Flannery O'Connor calls "a good case for distortion," the scene risks appearing ridiculously melodramatic to modern viewers...
ASSISTANT EDITORS: Ursula Nadasdy de Gallo, Andrea Dorfman, Brigid O'Hara-Forster, William Tynan, Sidney Urquhart, Jane Van Tassel (Department Heads); Bernard Baumohl, David Bjerklie, Val Castronovo, Georgia Harbison, Ratu Kamlani, Sue Raffety, Susan M. Reed, Elizabeth Rudulph, Susanne Washburn, Linda Young...
ASSISTANT EDITORS: Ursula Nadasdy de Gallo, Andrea Dorfman, Brigid O'Hara-Forster, William Tynan, Sidney Urquhart, Jane Van Tassel (Department Heads); Bernard Baumohl, David Bjerklie, Val Castronovo, Georgia Harbison, Ratu Kamlani, Sue Raffety, Susan M. Reed, Elizabeth Rudulph, Susanne Washburn, Linda Young...