Who needs supporting actors?

I saw "Suddenly Last Summer," the Roundabout's latest interpretation of the Tennessee Williams' classic, this Saturday. While there are a few problems with the supporting cast, the two powerhouse actresses at the head of this production are more than enough to mitigate it.

Blythe Danner stars as Mrs. Venable, the overbearing mother (in a Tennessee Williams play? who knew?) who has lost her son and finds her niece's bizarre explanation of his death unbearable and thus seeks to have her lobotomized. Several reports from the show have criticized Danner's seeming stumbling of her lines, but they seem to forget one thing: Mrs. Venable just had a stroke. I found it to be an extraordinary performance of a fierce woman trapped in a failing body that she partly blames for the death of her son.

The other revelation is Carla Gugino as the niece, Catherine Holly. When she finally tells the story of her cousin's death, it's one of the more spellbinding moment I've seen in a theatre in quite some time.

Unfortunately, however, Gale Harold, best know as the man-eating Brian of "Queer as Folk," isn't quite up to the task as Dr. Cukrowicz, the doctor Mrs. Venable has hired to observe Catherine. He's not bad, but his rather wooden delivery does not stand up well against his more experienced co-stars.

The rest of the supporting task is hit or miss. Wayne Wilcox does some nice work as Catherine's brother George, and Becky Ann Baker does a fine job as her mother. Karen Walsh barely registers as Mrs. Venable's servant Miss Foxhill, but it's not really much of a part, so perhaps that speaks well for her. Sandra Shipley seemed to be a bit off as far as timing and physicality as the nun Sister Felicity, who is watching over Catherine, but I guess it could have been an off-night for her. After all, she is Danner's understudy.

"Suddenly Last Summer" opens this Wednesday at the Laura Pels Theatre.