As the saying goes, “behind every great man is a great woman.” In Geffen Playhouse’s world premiere of Sylvia Sylvia Sylvia by Beth Hyland, the common proverb rings true, comparing Sylvia Plath’s (Marianna Gailus) mid-century relationship with Ted Hughes (Cillian O’Sullivan) with a present-day relationship between Theo (Noah Keyishan), an award-winning novelist, and Sally (Midori Francis), a writer struggling with her second book following the meteoric rise of her debut.
Sally can’t help but be jealous of her husband’s success. She struggles to write her semi-biographical project on Plath’s relationship, using her advance to book an Airbnb in Boston, where Plath lived, in hopes of finding inspiration. Instead of receiving a creative kick, the ghosts of Plath and Hughes haunt her. As unspoken secrets from her past with Theo surface amid the supernatural and economic pressures of her book, Sally must decipher what is real and what is in her head.
The past haunts, but not enough to incite change
“Looking back, you can always see the end in the beginning,” Plath ominously warns. Hyland’s writing is poetic, beautifully cementing her characters in their literary reality.
Scenic design by Studio Bent smartly adds modern touches to the apartment to differentiate time, making Plath’s presence in Sally’s life much more haunting. Jo Bonney’s direction masterfully overlaps timelines by injecting specific parts of the apartment, such as a chair or a bathroom, with parallel emotions in the women’s marriages.
Hyland’s play offers a poignant meditation on how patriarchy sneaks into heterosexual relationships, regardless of the year, presenting seemingly small arguments that pile upon each other to perpetuate something greater. Plath diminishes her successes to appease her husband’s jealousy. Sally bakes to make up for not being the future mother Theo wants her to be. The growing connection between Plath and Sally welcomes a progressive discourse of women’s empowerment.
Despite this effort, the big finale feeds into the very trope of female hysteria that Hyland combats. The tension quickly deflates. Sylvia Sylvia Sylvia, which, at first, promises to offer a new way out of the grasp of the patriarchy, further enforces the demise of a woman seeking to step out of her husband’s shadow.
3 out of 5 stars
It wants better content.
Fast facts: ‘Sylvia Sylvia Sylvia’
Geffen’s Sylvia Sylvia Sylvia starts with haunting brilliance but ends by reinforcing the very tropes it set out to dismantle.
- Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave, Los Angeles
- Notable performers: Midori Francis, Marianna Gailus, Noah Keyishian, Cillian O’Sullivan
- Running time: Approximately one hour and 45 minutes, no intermission
- Performances through March 8, 2026
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