The world is all at sixes and sevens in CRT’s production of "The Skin of our Teeth"

STORRS - Predictions of the end of the world have been greatly exaggerated - despite current economic conditions. Fear and uncertainty in an unpredictable world, and the fact that history repeats itself, are a couple of the recurring themes that run through Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer prize-winning play "Skin of Our Teeth."

Originally opening in 1942 at the Schubert Theatre in New Haven, this production at the University of Connecticut’s Connecticut Repertory Theater is one that isn’t regularly on the local theater circuit.

While Wilder’s "Our Town" is an oft-produced perennial favorite, "Skin of Our Teeth" is more of a mouthful to chew.

Wilder really went wild with this play, breaking with all sorts of conventions, at times having his characters speak directly to the audience and breaking through that invisible fourth wall. This just wasn’t done and must have been shocking and completely unprecedented in its time.

He also deals with themes like: "It’s a dog eat dog world," "Life as we know it can change in an instant," and "history is doomed to repeat itself."
The characters are archetypes, always tricky to make personal, here played by professional actors and undergraduates.

When the play begins in fact there is a short video by filmmaker Fergus J. Walsh featuring the characters as two-dimensional paper puppets stiffly moving through their world - an apt visual for this allegorical play.

Biblical, historical, and poetic allusions abound. First set in the home of the Antrobus’, the mister and misses played by Christopher Oden and Victoria Adams-Zischke, are the Adam and Eve, then Noah and his wife as the Biblical archetypes, with the servant and temptress Sabine and narrator played by with irreverent energy by Julia Coffey.

Gladys and Henry Antrobus are the children, played with youthful naivete by Sarah Murdoch and with scapegoat anger by Daniel O’Brien.

Think of it as a theatrical lecture, where the actions and statements make little logical, linear sense but are servants to Wilder’s conceits.

For example, be prepared to hear the Mrs. Antrobus announce their 5,000th wedding anniversary, and observe a wooly mammoth and dinosaur, played by Michael Truman Cavanaugh and Lauren Horoszewski, try to escape the impending ice age in the Antrobus’ living room, while Mr. Antrobus is busy inventing the wheel, the lever, algebra, and the alphabet. The man has his hands full, while wife in apron guards home and hearth.

Act II is set at an Atlantic City boardwalk beautifully rendered by scenic designer Issac Ramsey, with asymmetrical bathhouses, where Mr. Antrobus (in Greek Antrobus means "human") has just been elected president of the Fraternal Order of Mammals at their 600,000 annual convention. The costumes too in this act are a riot of colors and off-kilter socks, by Katarina Urosevic.

Act III is set back at the Antrobus’ home after a seven year war that decimated just about everything. Mr. Antrobus says war is easy compared to peacetime everyone goes back to their old selfish ways.

Many characters are introduced throughout the play, such as the officious broadcast official played by Zachary Kamin, along with muses, refugees, conventioneers, and the past-knowing fortune-teller played by Rachel Rosado.

When O’Brien’s Henry breaks out of character and apologizes for attempting to kill the character of his father, his confusion and distress felt legitimate and real. He was riveting.

Chance, confusion, and hazards are all mixed up into this soup-to-nuts play where the world is all sixes and sevens.

What goes around comes around in this thought-provoking, well-performed play.

THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH

3 Stars
Location: Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Jorgensen Road, Storrs.
Production: Written by Thornton Wilder. Directed by Helene Kvale. Scene design by Issac Ramsey. Costume design by Katarina Urosevic. Lighting design by Jen Rock. Sound design by Wilson Tennermann. Production stage manager Mary P. Costello. Technical direction by Scott Bartley. Voice and text direction by Krista Scott. Puppet design by Rebekah Eyre. Movement direction by Kristin Wold. Film by Fergus J. Walsh.
Running time: 2 1/2 hours with one intermission.
Show Times: Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. through Dec. 3 through 6. No performances are scheduled for Thanksgiving week.
Tickets: Range in price from $11 to $28. Call the box office at 860-486-4266 of visit their website at www.crt.uconn.edu.

ACTOR...CHARACTER
Julia Coffey ... Sabina
Victoria Adams-Zischke ... Mrs. Antrobus
Christopher Oden ... Mr. Antrobus
Sarah Murdoch ... Gladys
Daniel O’Brien ... Henry
Peter Mutino ... Mr. Fitzpatrick
Catherine Yudain ... Telegraph boy, Usher, Crowd
Jeremy Garfinkel ... Doctor, Conveener
Aaron Johnson ... Professor, Conveener
Zane M. Roberts ... Refugee, Conveener
Jordan J. Jones ... Homer, Conveener
Alison Barton ... Miss E. Muse, Ivy
Cayla Buettner ... Miss T. Muse, Chair Pusher
Brittany Green ... Miss M. Muse, Crowd, In Chair
Zachary Kamin ... Refugee, Broadcast official
Tom Foran ... Judge Moses, Defeated Candidate
Rebecca Ricker-Gilbert ... Refugee, Crowd, Hester
Scott Cooke ... Refugee, Lifeguard, Fred Bailey
J. D. Gross ... Announcer
Rachel Rosado ... Fortune Teller
Robert Rosado ... Crowd, Mr. Tremayne
Michael Truman Cavanaugh ... Mammoth
Lauren Horoszewski ... Dinosaur