Play Review: Bay Street's 'Master Class' Is an Immersive, Whirlwind Experience

Bay Street Theater’s current Mainstage production, Master Class written by Terrence McNally and directed by Lisa Peterson, is a bit of an enigma.

The 1995 show aims to tell the story of Greek-American opera singer Maria Callas as a straight play (aka non-musical) with minimal singing, least of all from the actress portraying the once world-famous soprano. And though the entirety of Callas’ history is shared through monologues doled out by her actress — a setup that has seen success in many one-woman shows, including recent hits like All Things Equal about Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Unbossed & Unbowed about Shirley Chisholm — Master Class avoids the obvious route and forges a path all its own.

Drawing inspiration from the Juilliard School master classes that Callas taught in the early 1970s, McNally’s play introduces Callas as a commanding instructor who demands absolute perfection in voice, emotion and aesthetic from her students. The character is a larger-than-life narcissist with the accomplishments to back up her enormous ego and sharp tongue, and Vicki Lewis of NewsRadio fame delivers an electrifying performance in the starring role.

Shortly after timid pianist Manny, endearingly portrayed by Brett Ryback, enters the stage, Callas bursts onto the scene and demands the audience’s attention — quite literally, as the audience is auditing her master class in the context of the play. This structure allows for Lewis to have great comedic interactions with the audience, such as when she calls out an unlucky someone in the front row for lacking “the look,” and with the staff, demanding lighting changes, a comfier chair and more from the overworked stagehand, portrayed by Ben Rauch.

Throughout the show, Callas conducts private coaching sessions with three adult singers, to varying degrees of disaster. In the first act, she insults and interrupts soft-spoken soprano Sophie, played by Stella Kim, whose angelic voice can only be heard for a few seconds before being drowned out by Callas’ inner monologue. The next student she mentors, after initially turning him away, is cocky tenor Anthony, portrayed with indelible swagger by Rodney Ingram. He delivers the show’s first full solo, and it’s no exaggeration to say that his powerful performance leaves goosebumps on those lucky enough to hear it.

Finally, there is Sharon, a second soprano who Callas chases away for being overdressed, and later returns to face the aging diva. Portrayed by the immensely talented Olivia Hernandez, Sharon’s short character arc is more fleshed-out than that of the other students, and it certainly leaves the biggest impact. After being drilled on making a proper entrance, incorporating props and effectively emoting, Sharon seems poised to earn a gold star from her austere teacher. Instead, she’s met with harsh, embittered remarks attacking her character, rather than her talent.

Sharon fires back, “You want the world to be dangerous, because that’s what it was for you,” and while Hernandez’s delivery is appropriately impactful, the line itself falls a bit flat. Not only is “dangerous” an odd word choice in the heat of this confrontation, “cruel” is easily a better fit in the scene and in the context of Callas’ backstory.

Throughout Callas’ retrospective monologues, she reflects on her years being called an “ugly duckling” before her rise to opera stardom, the rivals who sought to take her down, the unfavorable headlines in the press, and worst of all, her transactional relationship with Aristotle Onassis that resulted in a forced abortion and lasting heartache. Life was cruel to Callas, and she repays that cruelty to everyone around her.

Despite the cast of six, Master Class is largely a solo show that succeeds or fails by the talent of its lead, and Lewis’ performance is an engrossing sight to behold. The show’s two-hour runtime flies by as theatergoers hang on every expertly delivered word out of Lewis’ mouth. Bay Street’s latest production is an immersive, whirlwind experience that leaves audiences wanting more.

The show runs at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor through July 20. For tickets and more info, call 631-725-9500 or visit baystreet.org.