East of Eden Review

Rachel Coker

I first read East of Eden by John Steinbeck in high school for fun. I was always an avid
reader and something about the storyline attracted me. As I read the novel, I was pulled in and
devastated over the lives of the Trask family, and the book left a strong impact on me. As a
result, I was both excited and nervous to see Steppenwolf Theatres production of East of Eden,
adapted by renowned playwright and Steppenwolf ensemble member Frank Galati. I knew that
Galati had garnered praise in his adaptation of Steinbecks Grapes of Wrath years earlier, and I
was curious to see how he would handle this second Steinbeck classic. I didnt feel like I knew
much about theater, but I knew this story and was already personally connected to it, so I
definitely had high expectations of what this production would do to me. It was the filter of
judging the play by the novel, and that filter played into my reaction to the production.
In retrospect, I probably should have worked ahead of time to separate the play from the
novel in my mind. I already had ideas of how I pictured each scene and line being handled.
Through this filter, the plays performances seem much less believable. There were elements of
this production that were beautiful and moments of genuine emotion, but overall I found the
performance failed to move me as much as I hoped it would.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of this production was the set. The play takes place in
California, both on a ranch and in a small town. I thought the use of rolling house sets was a very
clever decision by the designer. Each little housefrom the rustic ranch to the comfortable home
to Kates lush green officeset a distinct tone for that scene and setting. I think this is where
atmosphere came into play. If theres one thing this production did a good job of, it was creating

an environment and atmosphere through set design and lighting. The ranch in the beginning felt
uncomfortably perfect and homey, which set the mood of that scene very well. Kates office with
its velvety greens seemed to hint at over-the-top selfishness and greed, even in her desire for
opulence and safety. And the rolling beds were always involved in intimate and life-changing
interactions between characters. I felt like the environment of these places (as well as the
emphasis on lighteven Kate cant stand the light, which is reflective of her characters
dynamic in a scene) really sets the tone of each scene very well.
The costuming of the characters also seemed reflective of their place in the story. Adam
Trask, the always-good father in the story, is always dressed neatly and well. His sons Caleb
(Cal) and Aaron graduate from dirty ripped overalls to smart everyday suits as the story
progresses. Cal even begins to dress the part of a businessman with a vest and pocket watch
when he begins developing an interest in making money. The evolution of Kates costuming was
perhaps the most interesting though. In the beginning of the play, we see her as an unhappy wife,
dressed in calico shirtdresses and cotton nightgowns. The day she leaves marks an immediate
distinction. Shes dressed smartly in all black, with a feather in her hat and rich dark fabrics. As
the owner of a whorehouse, she is continually appearing in rich velvety fabrics and corseted
waistlines, often in greenthe color of money. But by the end of the story, as she is worn down
and aged, she resorts to a soft and helpless silk nightgown and robe. Its in this nightgown that
she commits suicide, perhaps as a sign of her fragility and the cracking of her hard shell.
The key question at hand in this play is derived from the story of Cain and Abel. As Cal
struggles between the good and bad he finds within himself from both his father and mother, he
is forced to decide between the right and the wrong. The important thing to remember, as the
Chinese butler Lee states halfway through the show, is that mankind mayest. This word

mayest, as found in the Hebrew translation of Gods proclamation to Cain, proves that right
and wrong is a human choice. Cal may choose what is good or he may choose what is evil.
Nothing else could determine that for him. Its a concept he wrestles with throughout the play.
While there were many parts through the play where I felt the actors performances fall
flat (the famous a kind of light spread out from her declaration by Adam Trask comes to mind,
as well as Kates dismissive comments toward Adam before she leaves), I did appreciate the
emotion of the final scene. My filtered experience with the novel left me with high expectations
for this climatic finale, and I think the Steppenwolf production managed to wrap up the themes
of the play well. By Adams deathbed, we sympathized with Cal and the decision he faces on
whether to give himself over to his guilt and sin or to embrace the legacy of goodness his father
has left for him. Its a powerful sceneboth in the novel and on stagefull of emotion and
unanswered questions about the nature of man and his ability to choose his own direction.
In the end, to friends who truly want to understand this story, I would recommend they
read the novel by Steinbeck. I dont believe the experience of watching these actors play out this
story delivers the same experience as reading it. However, stepping away from the novel (which
is difficult for me to do), I do think that audiences would be challenged and moved by this story
in any circumstance. It is interesting to see it being adapted for the stage. Its an imperfect
production, but I realize that theater has its limitations and that there is beauty in those
limitations. The acting was a stumbling block for me, but in no ways can that lessen the power of
Steinbecks story here. This current production does prove that, after sixty years, these themes of
human nature and choice are still relevant today. Whether Wheaton students choose to explore
those themes through the book or play is up to them, but these are questions that should continue
to be addressed in challenged in every art form.