The Heiress @ the Walter Kerr Theatre

The Heiress, based on the Henry James novel, Washington Square maybe the only James' novel that could be made into a play without putting the audience to sleep.  The novel written in 1880 is set before the turn of the 20th Century but is deliciously compelling as a drama, in the 21st Century.  Marriage for women (back in the dark ages) was their only viable option.  The way for a woman to ensure a "good" marriage was to be beautiful & clever or wealthy as a result of an inheritance.  Rebecca Chastain who plays Catherine Sloper is neither socially adroit or attractive (a stretch for the lovely Chastain.) Catherine has a healthy inheritance from her mother and her father, Dr. Sloper, played by David Strathairn, will leave his only child, Catherine, his immense fortune.  Scoundrels and Gold Diggers are not new to any period in time.  More often than not, it's the female, in this case NOT.  Morris Townsend, who has neither money or vocation is courting Catherine presumably, especially by her father, solely for her fortune.  Morris is played with devilish charm by Dan Stevens who was so beguiling in Downton Abbey.  The entire cast, including Tony winner, Judity Ivey are perfectness.  The set design takes you back to the days before electricity with wonder.  How is the play pertinent today you may wonder? "Hell has no fury like a woman scorned," remains timeless and is so cunningly portrayed in The Heiress.