Synopsis: Trapped within a tower-prison, on an island at the edge of the world, captain Edgar and his wife Alice, a former actress, experience their own private hell, just before their silver wedding anniversary.

Their only glimpse of the world outside is Kurt, an old friend of Edgar's and Alice's cousin, who comes to visit them three months before they celebrate their 25th anniversary of marital life. But none can help each other; they don't want that, either.

Cast:
Ian McKellen .... Edgar
Helen Mirren .... Alice
David Strathairn .... Kurt
Anne Pitoniak .... Old Woman
Keira Naughton .... Jenny
Eric Martin Brown .... Sentry

Notes:
• Dance of Death marked David's return to the Broadway stage, having only previously been on Broadway in Three Sisters and Einstein and the Polar Bear.
• David was the only American lead in the cast--Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren, of course, being British.

Critical Praise & Commentary:
• "There is for starters the crucial question of the third member of the play's triangle of shifting power. That's Alice's cousin, Kurt, who is portrayed by David Strathairn, an excellent American actor, who here takes his character's passivity well past the vanishing point... Notice the captain's ostensibly loving physical contacts with Alice's cousin Kurt, who reappears in their lives after a long absence. Edgar clutches Kurt to his chest while pressing a cane or rifle horizontally against Kurt's back. When Mr. McKellen places his hands on Kurt's shoulders, you understand the look of slight, panicked nausea on Mr. Strathairn's face." -Ben Brantley, New York Times

• "David Strathairn presents a tamped-down read on Kurt, an ideal foil for Mirren and McKellen's fireworks." -Russell Bouthiller, Broadway Beat

• "David Strathairn (in the supporting role of Alice's cousin Kurt) gives a reliable if comparatively understated performance, the necessary touchstone to everything else going on." -Thomas Burke, Talkin' Broadway

• "Kurt has his own history of an unhappy marriage but except for the fact that this cost him custody of his children, his main role is as a potential ally to be won over in the ultimate Alice-Edgar battle. Being a rather nebulous character (and not made any less so by Strathairn's interpretation of the role), Kurt see-saws from one to the other, only to run off into the mist, leaving the unhappy pair on a note that they may perhaps make the best of their enforced togetherness, at least until Alice's often expressed wish for Edgar's death comes true." -Elyse Sommer, Curtain Up

• "Another fine actor, David Strathairn, plays Kurt, the wife's cousin. It is one of the more difficult roles in modern theatre, complex and clueless at the same time, and Strathairn carries it off splendidly." -Roy Sorrels, Culture Vulture

• "As the play's odd man out, Strathairn carves his own solid niche in the proscenium." -Lenny Traube, Western Queens Gazette

(Sir Ian McKellen On David:)
• "David Strathairn is a gentle, dedicated actor who tries only to work on worthwhile projects. He was a delight on and off stage, always ready with a smile and a good chat about politics." -Ian McKellen, co-star (Edgar)

• "He's very alert as to what's comical and physically adept. In fact, he showed me how to slide down a banister." -Ian McKellen, co-star (Edgar)

(Helen Mirren On David:)
• "[David Strathairn is] absolutely extraordinary, brilliant! I wonder how he's managed to stay so nice so long." -Helen Mirren, co-star (Alice)

(David On His Role:)
• [on co-star Ian McKellen] "Ian McKellen has a gift for taking care of the audience and the story... He builds a character from the nervous system to the tissue to the aura of the person. Sharing the stage with him is an honor, really." -David Strathairn, 2001

Related Links:
Official Sir Ian McKellen Website - Dance of Death (off site)