Former Yentl Star Fails to Dazzle in Her Stage Role

How can a play about a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet starring an Oscar-nominated actress fall short of its potential?

The New York premier of Marta Goes' A Safe Harbor for Elizabeth Bishop, running through April 30 at 59E59 Theaters, answers just that question.

Academy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated actress Amy Irving (Yentl) stars as Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Elizabeth Bishop, whose lifetime achievements include four volumes of poetry and a number of short stories. The play itself, however, focuses more on Bishop's almost 20-year-long relationship with Brazilian architect Lota de Macedo Soares than on her illustrious career.

A Safe Harbor begins with a map of South America as a backdrop; Latin guitar riffs in the background submerge the audience in a native Brazilian atmosphere before Irving even steps foot on the stage. The revolving floor ushers in well-designed sets by Jeff Cowie, while the lighting carefully accentuates different moods and settings, thanks to Russell Champa. Even Irving's somewhat extensive costume changes (costumes by Ilona Somogyi) work beautifully, dressing exactly as one might imagine an aging, out-of-place American in the thick of South America would dress.

Everything surrounding Irving's performance is superb. But that's precisely the problem with A Safe Harbor-the technical aspects of a one-woman show can only carry an audience so far. Despite Irving's prestigious resume, which includes numerous films and television performances, the 52-year-old Obie Award winner fails to captivate completely in this production.

It's not that she is not convincing as Elizabeth Bishop; in fact, her physical presence conveys the character perfectly, even bearing a certain believable resemblance to the poet. Rather, the problem lies in Bishop's acting. Traces of her numerous theatrical accomplishments are hard to come by; she often seems to struggle to engage the audience in the plotline, monotonously spouting lines about her character's travels and adventures.

The show's more tense moments, focusing on Bishop's relationship problems with Lota and her struggle with alcoholism, brings out the best in Irving, as if she is reminding the audience of her capabilities for theatrical brilliance. Those moments are only occasional, however, and provide only a disappointing glimpse of her potential for the role.

For the majority of the show, Irving recites the entire script as if she were reciting Bishop's poetry. Irving's blank stares into the dark of the audience work beautifully only during the small portions of the play where she is, in fact, actually delivering lines of poetry; elsewhere, it does not.

But the shortcomings of the performance do not rest entirely on Irving. There are inherent problems with having a one-woman show that focuses primarily on a relationship. At one moment, Irving screams into the crowd with immense frustration, as if Lota were in the audience. In another instance, Irving speaks to an empty stage, wondering when her imaginary lover will come back to bed. Simply put, audience members find themselves wondering why this is a one-woman show in the first place. The absence of Lota's character prevents any onstage dynamic between the two.

Pulling off a play focusing on a relationship between two individuals, one of whom is absent, is difficult, and one wonders why Marta Goes insisted on making A Safe Harbor a singular character study. Whatever her intentions were artistically, the decision to have only one actress onstage detracts heavily from the subject matter as a whole.

Hands down, the best parts of the show are the infrequent insertions of Bishop's actual poetry. You would be better off using the $60 ticket fee to purchase an anthology of the brilliant poet's work. Not only will you save some money, but you'll have the best part of the show right in your hands.