Frank Langella shines in 'The Father'

‘THE FATHER’: Frank Langella & Kathryn Erbe. Photo: Joan Marcus

THE FATHER
Written by Florian Zeller
Translated by Christopher Hampton
Directed by Doug Hughes
Through June 12, 2016
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
261 West 47th Street
(212-239-6200), www.manhattantheatreclub.com

By David Nounou

To say The Father is a harrowing play is an understatement. The uniqueness of this play is we are ultimately viewing it from the perspective of the person with dementia and not from the usual perspective of family, relatives or caregivers. For anyone who has had to deal with a parent, spouse, loved one or friend, from the onset of dementia to finally succumbing to it, is a horrific ordeal. However, Florian Zeller, the French playwright, has made this disease into an unforgettable theatrical experience

We see Andre (Frank Langella) in his deluxe Paris apartment rebuking his daughter, Anne (Kathryn Erbe) for suggesting that he should have someone look after him during the day. He accuses his former caregiver of stealing his watch so he threw her out. Anne tells and proves to Andre that the caregiver did not steal his watch, but he hid it himself in the kitchen cupboard. Andre is constantly demanding to see his other daughter, Elise and why doesn’t she come to visit him, and so the journey in the mind begins.

There are a lot of twists and turns in The Father that would be criminal to divulge. Suffice it to say it is one of the most riveting plays on Broadway this year. What gives it that additional suspense is the impeccable performance by Frank Langella. When we first see his Andre all dressed and pressed in his living room, we almost believe by his forth righteousness that it is Anne who is scheming to put him away. Watching Mr. Langella–first as a charming bastion of strength to the bitter end as layer after layer of his sanity being peeled away–is watching one of the most magnificent performances of the year.

Miss Erbe’s Anne is sympathetic and caring; she does her best to take care of Andre even at the expense of her own she relationship with Pierre (Brian Evers) who suggests putting him in a care facility. They both give fine performances but the attention is always on Mr. Langella.

The one distraction of the play is the lights that flash at the audience to indicate scene changes; when you have such a heavy subject, those lights become a nuisance. Doug Hughes, the director, should have softened the distracting light effect because it takes away from the tension and the drama created on the stage. However, due to Mr. Langella’s superior performance we overcome this obstacle.

Through Mr. Zeller’s interpretation and Mr. Langella’s performance, we see dementia in a new light; not as observing the patient with this disease, but seeing events that might have happened a day ago or a minute ago through the eyes of the patient and the moment-to-moment ordeals they face on a daily basis.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 18, 2016
Reviewed at performance on April 17, 2016