The "Big Questions:" Why do I fear what I fear? Who are the people around me? What is my relationship to my past? How do I relate to the world around me? Who am I? These age-old questions are often pondered by every type of artist, but rarely are they presented with as little regard for their seriousness as in this year's two Dramat Freshman Plays-Wet Cement by Barry Levey, DC '99, and 'Dentity Crisis by everybody's favorite frivolously absurd playwright, Christopher Durang.
Both plays tackle these "Big Questions" with fresh perspectives. Entertaining and strangely thought provoking, this year's freshman production of these two one-acts is an hour of must-see Yale theater.
Levey's Wet Cement, a 20-minute-long glimpse at the frustrations of modern life, begins the hour and stars Maiya Murphy, CC '99, as Julie; and Sam Walsh, TC '99, as Chuck. Chuck has just finished paving Julie's driveway when she enters and requests to walk across it to get to her car because the grass is muddy and she is afraid of the mud. Presently, a frustrating exchange begins between the two, but the mood changes and we begin to see the direction Levey is taking us-Julie wishes for her knight in shining armor, and Chuck jumps into the character.
The play ensues with the pair exchanging fantasies and past situations that led them to where they are now, at the edge of the wet cement. Chuck plays Julie's high-school crush as well as her fantasy prince, while Julie is Chuck's fifth-grade teacher, ex-wife, and annoying MCI saleslady.
Both Murphy and Walsh are thoroughly believable; we see our own frustrations and pasts in theirs. Murphy makes Julie's little neuroses just overt enough to clearly demonstrate how they affect her character, but never lets these aspects of her character's personality take over. Walsh's best moments come as he portrays characters in Julie's life; indeed, the best part about their performances is that they are as real and entertaining within various fantasies and memories as they are as Julie and Chuck.
Levey is an amazing writing talent. The play has all the unscathed veracity of an amateur and the artistic subtleties of a professional. The switches from reality to fantasy are smooth, and in only twenty minutes we have no problems understanding the motivations of Chuck and Julie. He doesn't attempt to answer any of the "Big Questions" for us. He just poses them in a novel way.
Darcy Miller, DC '99, does a brilliant job with direction. With scenes jumping from one fantasy to another, there is always a risk of seeming silly and awkward, but this never emerges as a problem. Wet Cement is beautifully staged; Miller is able to present character, relationships, and personal motivations without a flaw.
After a short intermission, a new set of actors presents 'Dentity Crisis, Durang's insanely black comedy about Jane (Elisabeth Waterston, DC '99), her dysfunctional "family" (after Suddenly Last Summer, one wonders: is this a theme this semester at the Dramat?) and her psychiatrists. Again, Durang is tackling the "Big Questions, but happily, the play doesn't take itself at all seriously, a smooth move by Durang. Why? Because we find that when we laugh, it's out of horror-and we recognize this. Thus, the audience is doing the work by interpreting this play, instead of watching someone else's answers being handed over to us.
We begin by finding that Jane has recently attempted suicide, and it isn't long before we discover why. Her mother, Edith (Karen Abravanel, DC '99), refers to herself as "Mrs. Fromage" because she thinks she invented cheese in France. Her brother, Robert (Boomie Aglietti, DC '99), has, shall we say, a "close" relationship with her mother, but also sporadically switches character, portraying Jane's father, grandfather, and The Count, her mother's lover. Aside from Jane, no one in the play questions these role changes, which Aglietti juggles easily.
As the only (nearly) sane character in the play, Waterston's Jane is properly confused. Jane feels alone, invisible in the crazy world surrounding her, and there is no doubt of this in Waterston's portrayal-her cautious, inverted body language shows Jane's insecurities, and her eyes are those of a frightened little girl. I believed she was Jane from beginning to end.
Abravanel's Edith is a perfect monstrous compilation of all the eccentricies each of us sees in our mother, but magnified 1,000 times. She is completely comfortable presiding over the activities unfolding in her living room. Aglietti, a natural character actor, is hysterical as Robert and Arthur and Grandpa and The Count.. He never fell into over-acting and was tireless in his performance. Lee Murphy, BK '99, and Megan Campisi, DC '99, as Mr. and Mrs. Summers, Jane's psychiatrist and his wife, were both capable of portraying broad characters without falling into stereotype.
Again, Miller does a stellar job as director. 'Dentity Crisis is absurd, but not in the Camusian, existentialist way; it is simply crazy and thus easy to dismiss as frivolous. But Miller isn't fooled by surfaces and molds the production into one that reflects the lives of the audience members.
In both one-acts, lighting plays a key role in depicting the thoughts of characters. Lighting designer Cathy Braasch, TD '99, provides an atmosphere that enhances both productions. Although sparse, scenery is especially important in 'Dentity Crisis and Sarah Baker, ES '99, envisions a set as eccentric as the characters who inhabit it.
All this entertainment is $4 and only takes an hour. Anyone who misses it should have their head examined.
Copyright 1996, The Yale Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
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