UMKC "Miss Julie" review by Piddums

Spiraling Snowball of Death

Rating: 4

Miss Julie

UMKC Theatre

August Strindberg is ground zero in Theater history for both realism and expressionism and as such he is taught in almost every Theater history course. "Miss Julie", a long one act play, is arguably his best work and almost certainly his most accessible. That doesn't mean this is easy going. This play is about the connecting of Miss Julie, a young, wealthy debutante and her manservant Jean. Miss Julie flirts and scolds, while Jean passive-aggressively plays along. They eventually give in to their desires, at which point the reality of the situation settles in and the characters spiral to their doom.

Both characters are quite complex and have massive back stories which explain their reactions to the central deed of the play. Strindberg, and the actors in this production, resist every effort to make these characters sympathetic. Jean is a schemer; Miss Julie is spoiled and confused. Both are arrogant. There is a third character, Christine the cook, who is also Jean's fiancé. She delivers some unhealthy wisdom to the two main characters.

The actions of Jean and Miss Julie are shocking and brutal and are disturbing even now. One particular moment involves a pet bird and it had the opening night audience screaming.

Carla Noack has chosen to run the performance in real time as much as possible. That means that when Miss Julie demands a dance from Jean early on, we what Christine fret and do menial tasks until the song is over. Also, the scene break that occurs when the characters go off to have their physical moment occurs behind a curtain with reflected shadows. It is actually quite effective.

Eric Graves plays Jean as a petulant toady who gains power and becomes a tyrant. Eva Biro's Miss Julie is a bundle of arrogance and terror. She is incredibly effective, and both of these actors manage to make your care for these very unpleasant characters. Kat Endsley is simply wonderful as Christine. Ms. Endsley has been relegated to supporting roles since her turn in Killer Joe last fall and one hopes UMKC will find something decent for her to do before she graduates.

If there is anything missing from the performance of the leads, it is the raw sexuality that is required for Jean and Miss Julie. The play requires raw lust to contrast with the calculations that the characters indulge in the light of day. I'm simply not seeing it. It does not ruin the show, merely subtracts from it.

read the review at KC Stage