by Rebecca Daniels
(This article appeared in the February 16, 2006 edition of The Woodstock Times. Reprinted with permission of The Woodstock Times.)
It's a family affair at Rhinebeck's Cocoon Theatre this month. Six members of the San Millan family (co-founders Marguerite and Andres and their four children) are appearing in Thornton Wilder's quirky comedy, The Skin of Our Teeth, running through Sunday, February 26. Under Ellen Honig's astute direction, the San Millans join forces with nine other talented community players to bring Wilder's 1942 Pulitzer Prize winning play to vivid life.
Not only is the entire San Millan family acting in this highly entertaining production, the play they've chosen to produce centers around a family - Mr. and Mrs. Antrobus (Doug Hoffman and Lorna de Zengotita), their children, Henry (Ezra San Millan) and Gladys (Magdalene San Millan), and their sexy maid Sabina (Marinell Madden). The archetypal Antrobus family have been tenaciously surviving thousands of calamities 'by the skin of their teeth' since their first incarnations as Adam, Eve and Lilith. Cain has long-since changed his name to Henry, and Gladys has replaced her deceased brother Abel in the family tree, but the family dynamic remains essentially the same throughout thousands of years.
Despite the fact that it was written in 1942, The Skin of Our Teeth is an innovative, non-traditional play and, in many respects, its message is as timely today as it was then. Influenced by James Joyce's novel, Finnegan's Wake, the play has a circular structure and takes all sorts of liberties with history and time.At first sight, the Antrobus family is a typical American family living in a present-day New Jersey suburb. Soon, however, the anachronistic nature of this play becomes evident when we learn that Mr. Antrobus is inventing the wheel, alphabet and multiplication tables, that the family has a dinosaur and mammoth as house pets, and that the Ice Age is almost upon them. They mange to survive this catastrophe, but their pets do not. In Act II, which takes place at a convention in Atlantic City, it's the Flood (as in the book of Genesis in the Bible) that looms over them. In Act III, they're back in their suburban home, having survived WWII. But instead of coming to a happy ending at this point, the play starts all over again.
The tone of this multi-leveled play is light-hearted and farcical, and thanks to excellent direction from Honig, the actors do a masterful job with the material - especially Hoffman, Madden and de Zengotita. Marguerite San Millan's compelling presence in her role as the fortuneteller also deserves special mention. There are parallels that can be made to Wilder's Our Town, particularly with respect to the presentational style. Sabina serves as narrator throughout, while going in and out of various characters. We discover early on that The Skin of Our Teeth is actually a play within a play with Sabina as an actress playing variations on 'the other woman.' Another reminder of the play's offbeat structure occurs when the stage manager, Mrs. Fitzpatrick (Tracy Carney), intervenes to give Sabina instructions.Honig's costuming added just the right fanciful touch. Act II was particularly colorful and fun. A group of Conveeners (people attending the convention) with red hair and clown's costumes, parade on and off stage throughout this act, oblivious to the impending debacle. Mr. Antrobus, who is now President of the mammals, dons a red fez, while Sabina, who is playing a beauty contest winner, wears a 40s style red bathing suit and sheer red tights. Slides are used to introduce Acts I and II, with a snappy narration by John LeFever that adds humor and contemporary relevance.
Cocoon Theatre is a unique space on the second floor of an office building in the center of Rhinebeck, across from Beekman Arms. There's an elevator, and the lobby feels a lot like someone's living room with its tropical fish tanks and comfortable chairs. Everyone is asked to remove their shoes and don freshly laundered slippers before entering the actual theater space in order to protect the Marley floor where dance performances are also staged. Refreshments are always ample and varied. The Skin of Our Teeth will continue playing at Cocoon Theatre, 6384 Mill Street (Rt. 9) in Rhinebeck through Sunday, February 26. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15. For reservations call 845-876-6470. For more information about Cocoon Theatre and its upcoming dance and theatre events visit their website at www.cocoontheatre.org.