'Hotel' lacks some hospitality

Upon entering the Hudson Guild Theatre and gazing at the lavish set of Tennessee Williams' "Clothes for a Summer Hotel," one is already drawn into the tragic story about to unfold. Set in an asylum atop a violently windy hilltop, the stage is decorated with fiery strands of fabric that hang lifelessly from the ceiling, framing a grim iron gate in the center. The play opens with two bleak-looking sisters (Julie Kelderman and Ambien Mitchell) dressed in blood-red robes asking F. Scott Fitzgerald (Peter Crosby) if painting the gate red will make it look more cheerful. Fitzgerald describes the asylum as looking "scorched by fire," and the audience can already tell whatever lies in this place will undoubtedly take him through a whirlwind of hardship.

This whirlwind, as it turns out, is his wife, Zelda Fitzgerald (Kristen Vaughan), who is a patient at the asylum. Zelda, claimed to be making progress, is allowed to see her husband. As the gate doors open, she leaps out in a bizarre dress of clashing pieces of tulle. But despite her childish appearance, Zelda looks upon her husband with biting coldness, ignoring his attempts at reconciliation and instead focusing on her dancing, of which he disapproves.

As they dig down into the roots of their conflicts, Scott and Zelda take the audience through the Jazz Age in France. With every visually stunning scene, from the airy bedroom of a French hotel room to the Chinese-lantern-adorned party held by the Murphys (Tom Cleary and Lisa Riegel), there is an ominous undercurrent. Crosby and Vaughan are very effective at creating tension even in their most pleasant interactions, and their struggle to maintain a sense of sanity in their marriage is portrayed almost flawlessly.

Although the production, directed by Cyndy Marion, is itself one of quality, the flaws in the play lie primarily in the writing itself. There is a reason this was one of Williams' rarely performed plays — it just isn't up to par with his most famous works. He seems to take a common relationship — that of a successful man and his envious, suppressed wife — and make it more complicated than it should be. The play is filled with references to androgyny and fire, both of which remain cryptic. There is a long conversation between Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway (Rod Sweitzer) about death and identity that only adds to the vagueness. Lastly, the play is called a ghost play but it is unclear if Fitzgerald and Zelda are actually dead. Fitzgerald suffers from repeated heart spasms and Zelda continues to be taken care of by the asylum staff. 

Then again, although this play may not be one of Williams' masterpieces, it is still a work of one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century. It contains some truly cathartic moments and memorable lines such as, "Every lunatic is innocent until proven sane." Even great artists such as Williams and Fitzgerald have deep imperfections, and their flaws are certainly worth exploring.

"Clothes for a Summer Hotel" is playing at the Hudson Guild Theatre (441 W. 26th St.) through Feb. 21. Tickets ($9-18) can be purchased at smarttix.com or by calling 212.868.4444.

Julia Pugachevsky is a staff writer.