In Topanga, ‘Seagull’ Finds an Agreeable Place to Nest

The alfresco Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga is the most richly atmospheric home that the first act of Chekhov’s “The Seagull”--set outdoors on a Russian estate in midsummer--will ever find in Southern California. The synthesis of setting, season, script and Heidi Helen Davis’ staging makes this an especially memorable production.

True, later in the play the site-specific quality isn’t quite as ideal as in the first act, in which even the time of day is a perfect match. The last act is set during a Russian winter. Still, though Topanga lacks snow, on Saturday the temperature during that last act dipped to the point at which sweaters--if not babushkas--came in handy.

Befitting the size of the space, Davis stages the comedy broadly. Seldom has young Nina (Abby Craden), appearing in the first act’s play-within-the-play, appeared more hilariously amateurish--but then Nina’s later description of her own acting justifies this approach.

Nor is Ellen Geer’s Arkadina a paragon of dignity. In a red wig that makes her look a bit like Lucille Ball, she pitches her voice on a girlish plateau that firmly defies the fact that she appears older than her claimed 43.

As her lover, Sheridan Crist alternates with comic gusto between curious observer and anxious narcissist, and Arkadina’s brother (Terry Evans) is a warm spirit, despite his infirmities.

Aaron Hendry’s Treplev has a tremulous voice that explodes into fierce passion, while Melora Marshall makes palpable the pain of Masha’s unrequited love for him.

The servants, oddly billed as “storytellers,” provide occasional bursts of country dance, windy sound effects, and scattered leaves. No one’s miked, so sit close.

BE THERE

“The Seagull,” Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd. Fridays, 8 p.m., through Aug. 20; Saturdays, 8 p.m., through Sept. 18; Sept. 25, Oct. 9 and 16, 3 p.m. $12 to $17. (310) 455-3723. Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes.