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While Albert Maysles gets credit for shining a national spotlight on Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale and her daughter, Edith Bouvier Beale, with his 1975 documentary “Grey Gardens,” the aunt and cousin of former First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis were already accustomed to publicity.
Before the release of the documentary that rediscovered the pair, Big and Little Edie—as they became commonly known—lived in squalor in their East Hampton estate, Grey Gardens. After village and country inspections, it was discovered that the recluses’ home was infested with fleas, raccoons and other pests, not to mention the mansion’s lack of running water.
In 1972, after pressure from the Suffolk County Health Department, Grey Gardens was renovated and brought up to code with funds supplied by their iconic cousin, Ms. Kennedy Onassis.
Mr. Maysles’ eye-opening documentary, adapted for the stage and set to music in 2006, is staging at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor from Tuesday, August 4, through Sunday, August 30. It stars Betty Buckley as Big Edie, Rachel York as Little Edie and Tony Award nominee Howard McGillin as George Gould Strong.
“I’m so excited to come work with this incredible cast,” Ms. Buckley said during a recent telephone interview. “They’re amazing, but the director, Michael Wilson, is one of the greatest directors in America.”
When it comes to approaching the complex and dynamic Big Edie, Ms. Buckley is preparing for role no differently from any other she has tackled.
“Well, a lot of research and homework goes into it,” she said. “I, of course, have watched the documentary and the HBO film, but I’ll also be working with a dialect coach to learn the songs. [And there is] collaboration with the director and with the cast to try to get to the heart of why something like this could happen, and to understand the psychology behind it and the pressures on both women.”
“Grey Gardens” will open on Tuesday, August 4, at 7 p.m. at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor. Performances will continue through August 30 on Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with select matinees, and Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $62.55. For more information, call (631) 725-9500, or visit baystreet.org.
on Jul 28, 2015