Watch On The Rhine Play Analysis

My classmates and I recently saw Watch on the Rhine by Lilian Hellman performed at the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. The play was directed by Jackie Maxwell. The main characters were portrayed by Marsha Mason, Thomas Keegan, Lisa Bruneau, Andrew Long, J Anthony Crane, Natalia Payne, Ethan Miller, Heidi Kaplan, and Tyler Bowman. It was my first time seeing theater-in-the-round; it was an amazing experience. Theater-in-the-round is much more engaging and realistic than a proscenium stage. Along with the staging, the actors were also incredible. I will focus on three actors in this response: Long, who played Kurt Müller; Keegan, who played David Farrelly; and Miller, who played Joshua Müller. These actors left the greatest impression on me out of all the actors. How they
chose to portray their characters and their vulnerability on stage were phenomenal. Though Long’s character is the protagonist of the play, it did not feel like he was until towards the end of the second act. I assumed that the play would revolve around Sara. Though this misconception has more to do with the way the play was written, Long’s acting also played a part in creating this illusion. He never unnecessarily drew attention to himself on stage. Even when he played the piano, he was not too distracting. An example of his subtlety would be how he reacted to Sara whenever she started praising the house or remembered her childhood. He would never resent her for it, though I could see through his expressions that he resented himself for not being able to provide as much for her and their children. Nevertheless, he never stopped Sara from praising her house or reacted bitterly to her nostalgia. If Long had reacted differently, I would not have connected with his character as much. Apart from his grounded portrayal, Long’s physicality with his fellow actors enhanced their chemistry. Sara, played by Bruneau, and Kurt’s relationship was believable because of their embraces, kisses, and intense eye contact during emotional scenes. I could see that they trusted each other considerably. Along with his relationship with Bruneau, Long’s physicality with the children also improved their family dynamic. He showed affection to his kids through hugs and kisses. In fact, one of the moments Long was most vulnerable was when Kurt said goodbye to his kids in the last scene. Long was focused throughout the play, making his character believable. Miller’s portrayal of Joshua was one of my favorite things about the play. I was drawn to him the most out of the three kids. Miller did an amazing job showing Joshua’s subtext to the audience. Even when he was not speaking, Miller’s expressions and body language conveyed Joshua’s discomfort being in such a new place. An example of this would be when Joshua witnessed Kurt strangle Tech. I could not see Miller’s face, but I saw his body tense up, his hands turn into fists, and him back away slightly. As soon as Kurt saw him, however, Miller’s body language changed: he straightened his back and wiped the distressed look off his face to convey that Joshua was ready to help his father with whatever he needed. The sudden shift in Miller’s body language showed me Joshua’s internal conflict: he must be responsible and step up when his father is not there, no matter how much he may want to be a kid. Miller conveyed so much through his actions. The scene where Miller was the most vulnerable was when Joshua said goodbye to Kurt. As they embraced, Miller’s composure broke for just a moment, enough to convey the conflict going on in Joshua’s mind. It was the only moment in the play that brought tears to my eyes. Miller did an incredible job conveying Joshua’s subtext. Unlike Long and Miller, I was not drawn to Keegan’s character from the start.
It was difficult for me to understand David at first. In the beginning, he gave off an unempathetic vibe through his expressions. The way he delivered his dialogues and his expressions in his first scene gave me the impression that he cares more about Martha than the fact that his sister is coming home after 17 years. However, his expressions changed a great deal when Sara finally arrived. As the play progressed, Keegan peeled away more and more layers of his character. The last moment of the play was when he was most vulnerable. Keegan was the only one left on stage and, just as the lights started to dim, he let out a heart-breaking sob. That moment completely changed my impression of David. It was such an unexpected and honest moment. Keegan’s expressions looked so real; he genuinely felt his character’s pain. The play would not have been as impactful if he had done that scene differently. For example, if he just sighed instead of sobbed, I would not have understood David’s emotions clearly. Was he worried or exasperated? Keegan’s sob conveyed his fear and grief perfectly. It was the perfect way to end the
play. I am pleased I had the opportunity to watch his play. All the actors performed wonderfully, but Long, Miller, and Keegan shined the brightest in my eyes. They portrayed their characters in an honest and believable way. Their moments of vulnerability amazed me. Watching them helped me understand how important it is to expose yourself to an audience if you want to make an impact with your performance. I hope to learn to be more vulnerable while performing to make such an impact on an audience.