Play review – “The Country Girl” by Clifford Odets

Clifford Odets is famous (among writers at least) for being the playwright who sold out and went Hollywood, where he was destroyed. Most bios on him commented “he never lived up to his original promise” – which is a bit rich, since his later years produced works such as this, The Big Knife, and the screenplay for The Sweet Smell of Success. Thinking over it, though – most of the themes of those works deal with selling out, so Odets certainly encouraged the myth himself. This play is from 1950 is about the attempts of a theatre director to hire an alcoholic actor in his latest play; although there are supporting roles such as a ruthless producer and kindly playwright (way to go, Odets), the meat of the drama concerns the director, the actor and the latter’s wife – in particular the dysfunctional marriage of the last two. Three strong characters, in good conflict. Strong stuff, with some flowery dialogue. There’s a scene were we see the alcoholic actor actually act, and we’re supposed to be impressed by it – that’s risky (what if he sucks?). I remember Laura Brannigan in Backstage supposed to be a great actor, and you’re sort of willing to go with it... but then they show it. Likewise any actor who plays the Kate Hepburn part in Stage Door actually has to be good.