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M. Proust
By Mary Zimmerman
Directed by Eric Rosen
Produced by About Face Theatre
At Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre
1650 N. Halsted
Chicago, IL
Call 312-355-1650, tickets $25 - $40
Wednesdays thru Fridays at 7:30 PM
Saturdays & Sundays at 3 & 7:30 PM
Running time is 84 minutes with no intermission
Through July 16, 2006
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”
“We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.” – Marcel Proust
“No sooner was he in his grave than they began to flock about like blackbirds: reporters and authors, scholars and so on, wanting to know…all about him. His “secrets”…It’s fifty years now, since the day he died, and I’ve not breathed a word about him. Not publicly. Never….Until now.”
Céleste Albaret in M. Proust
Mary Beth Peil magnificently presents a tribute to Marcel Proust
Mary Zimmerman has had a long interest in Marcel Proust (1871-1922) and her World Premiere one woman show, M. Proust is a major triumph for her, for About Face Theatre and director Eric Rosen. It is also a tour de force for veteran Broadway actress Mary Beth Peil.
This is a flawless, totally engaging and richly psychological explanation of the obsessive relationship between Celeste Albaret and Marcel Proust. It is a theatrical treat of the first order. Dan Ostling’s set, complete with tall doors and large windows, and amazingly effective rear and front lighting (by Chris Binder) deftly depicts the scenes and underscores the mood produced by Celeste Albaret. She tells her story from her eight years as Marcel Proust’s housekeeper, personal assistant and confidant.
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It is 1973 and Albaret decides to break her fifty year silence concerning her knowledge of Marcel Proust’s life. She became irritated at scholars depicting Proust as a gay man who enjoyed male prostitutes. Through her detailed 84 minute monologue, Mary Beth Peil smoothly engages us into her tale of the unique nocturnal life style of the prolific French novelist. I learned much about Proust and I became enthralled with the many Proust quotes and vivid stories Peil creatively conveys to paint a portray of Proust from her personal experience.
I was rivet to my chair listening to Peil’s articulate and, often amusing, rendition of the stories Proust shared with her. We realize that Celeste was as obsessed with Proust as he was obsessed with completing his seven volume masterwork, Remembrance of Things Past (or In Search of Lost Time). We learn that Proust wrote vivid stories about male prostitutes, homosexual relationships, yet Celeste denied that Proust was gay (contrary to most scholar’s assessment).
Mary Zimmerman varies the storytelling pace and director Eric Rosen deftly stages the show with terrific lighting to give the one person monologue the look and feel of a multi character show. Mary Beth Peil depicts the many characters Proust wrote about so effectively that I swear I saw them on stage! Once the 84 minutes conclude, we think we know more about Proust and Albaret, yet we leave the theatre thinking that their relationship lives up to one of the Proust’s principle tenets: that we can never truly know another person. I believe Proust hid his gay encounters from Albaret out of his love and respect for her.
To learn about the amazing French novelist, Marcel Proust, sample his world, his style and obsessions, get to Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre to see Mary Beth Peil command the stage as Celeste Albaret. She adores and defends Proust while generously allowing us to hear his language and take a look at the Belle Epoque society of early 20th Century Paris. Proust wrote in an attempt to relive his memories of his fondest days and to depict the decadence and sexual activity seldom referred to in novels of the 1920’s.
I was enchanted, educated and entertained by M. Proust—and so will you. This is a ‘must see’ show! Trust me on this one.
Not To Be Missed
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: June 17, 2006
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