Stephen Nichols & Constance Towers
(Stefan Cassadine & Helena Cassadine)
Soap Opera Digest Performers of the Week
May 9, 2000
By Linda Sussman
The irony is that it was the magnitude of their characters’ hatred for each other that gave General Hospital’s Stephen Nichols and Constance Towers the opportunity to share in perfect harmony one of the most extraordinary discussions I’ve ever watched between a mother and son on a soap opera.
The disaffection in Helena and Stefan’s relationship has been obvious in the icy pique that oozes out of Nichols’ and Towers’ performances whenever their characters are in the same room. This time, however, as Stefan cornered Helena, who was privately toasting the success of her Lucky victory over the Spencers, the air was laden with a sense of dire foreboding.
After Stefan released his grip from around Helena’s neck and gently patted her shoulders – an oddly consoling gesture – he removed a chess set from a small table just in front of her and sat down, their faces nearly abutting. The linchpin of Nichols’ performance was that he played Stefan as the apparent pawn to Helena’s queen. The tone of his voice was so relaxed and almost reverential that even Helena seemed more confused than angered by her loathed son’s confessional of unrequited mother’s love.
As Helena spewed out an unspeakably vile putdown in response to each of Stefan’s revelations, Towers’ delivery became almost conservational and offhanded, but Nichols kept Stefan’s eyes and soul trained on her. Towers occasionally revealed a trace of discomfort, but Helena became so energized by her vituperative tirade and almost dreamy at her recollection of the son, Stavros, whom she adored, that she failed to give her pale and puny son his due.
Nichols held his character’s position admirably, matching the tempo of Towers’ discourse as he quietly admitted that his passion for Laura was a pathetic, misguided attempt to claim the mother’s love that is every child’s birthright. The pain of the exchange was unmistakable on Nichols’ face throughout, but as Stefan disclosed and then rid himself of his hopeless charade, his bearing gradually swelled and his voice grew stronger. For the first time, Towers allowed Helena a glint of true uneasiness as Stefan, after caressing her hand, got up and walked to the door to let in the police, who arrested the dumbfounded Helena for kidnapping. Checkmate.
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