Theatre Intelligence
“Fifth of July” at Williamstown
Through August 22
It’s amazing how delightfully old-fashioned a play from the 1978 can be. Lanford Wilson’s Fifth of July allows characters come in and out multiple time—to run up staircases and swing through screen doors, so that you get the feeling you are watching life rather than just a play. The story of a disabled (gay) Vietnam vet who is not sure whether to stay in his family’s magnificent rural Missouri house or sell it to his old college friends, it takes you back to a time when plays were as influential as movies as societal bellwethers. The production at Williamstown has a magnificent, atmospheric set and is beautifully lit. The cast is uniformly strong, especially Kally Duling as the precocious 13-year-old June Tally, Shane McRae as the sensitive vet, Jennifer Mudge as the over-the-top Gwen, and Elizabeth Franz as Aunt Sally, the 64-year-old rock of the family. Directed by Steppenwolf Theatre co-founder Terry Kinney, Fifth of July is more expressive than explosive, a nuanced take on friends, family, love and betrayal.
Williamstown Theatre Festival
Williamstown, MA
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