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In the Zone

One of Eugene O'Neill's nautical plays presented in the fo'c'sle of South Street Seaport Museum's Tall Ship Wavertree.

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By: Jeff S. Dailey

Sam Gibbs, Matthew Russell (center) and Christopher Rashee-Stevenson in a scene from the Mariner Theatrical production of Eugene O’Neill’s “In the Zone” on the Tall Ship Wavertree (Photo credit: Jeff S. Dailey)

Mariner Theatrical is a new theater company devoted to environmental stagings of nautical plays, and, for their inaugural production, they presented Eugene O’Neill’s In the Zone in the fo’c’sle of the tall ship Wavertree at the South Street Seaport Museum.

The Wavertree, built in 1885, has been an integral part of the South Street Seaport since 1969.  A three-masted sailing ship, it resembles the Charles Raquin, the barque O’Neill sailed on in 1910 when, aged 21, he travelled to Buenos Aires supposedly to prospect for gold.  The play is one of four short dramas O’Neill set on the tramp steamer SS Glencairn, which was based on the SS Ikala, the ship he sailed back to New York on.

The living quarters for the crew did not vary if the ship was powered by wind or steam; they are cramped and uncomfortable.  As staged by director Andy Sowers, the 20 or so audience members watched the play unfold around them, seated on benches and folding chairs or laying on bunks.  The fo’c’sle itself contains little except a large table in the middle and bunks on both sides.  The only other large furnishing in the room is a potbellied stove.

Playwright Eugene O’Neill on ship board

Written in 1917, shortly after the U.S. entered World War I, In the Zone shows how group hysteria can build, as the various crew members decide that one of their own, Smitty, must be a spy.  The play is a tribute to the heroic merchant seamen who served in both World Wars (and before and after), ferrying supplies and personnel across the oceans.  Swept up into a conflict that made their difficult jobs even harder and more dangerous, they put their lives on the line every day.

The Tall Ship Wavertree (Photo credit: Thomas Henry Wilton)

The two main characters who decide that Smitty must be a spy—Davis and Driscoll– were ably played by (respectively) Christopher Rashee-Stevenson and Sam Gibbs.  Matthew Russell, as Smitty, was the focus of their anger, although he did not get to say much, spending much of the play bound and gagged.  All of the actors applied appropriate accents to their parts, which, given that they depict seamen from all over the world, made their characters believable.  Others in cast included Damien Hughes, Jaz Astwood, Stuart Gray, and Žilvanas Janusas.  Captain Tunney read aloud the stage directions and prompted when necessary.

Special mention must be made of the Irish music group Faoilean, led by Nathan Bishop.  Seated in the anteroom, they provided entertainment before the play began and also accompanied the action.  Their talents made a wonderful theatrical experience even better.

In the Zone (January 17-19, 2025)

South Street Seaport Museum

Tall Ship Wavertree, Pier 16, 89 South Street, in Manhattan

For tickets, visit http://www.seaportmuseum.org/in-the-zone

Running time: 45 minutes without an intermission

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