Reviews of Durang 4play
"Christopher Durang concocts potent comic nightmares. His one-act "ıDentity Crisis" (one of four currently running at the Theatre Building in a production by A Reasonable Facsimile Theatre Company) centers on a teenage girl whose suicidal tendencies are understandable, given that her mother claims to have introduced cheese to France; her father morphs inexplicably into her brother, her grandfather and the French ambassador; and her therapist has decided to have a sex-change operation in tandem with his wife. Reasonable Facsimile presents the Durang plays with appropriately raw energy, though at times the rawness predominates; the final play, a skewed version of "Medea," is slight enough to begin with, and the companyıs haphazard singing and dancing doesnıt help. Similarly, while Ed Jonesıs Stanley sprays Old Style about the stage with gusto in the Tennessee Williams parody "Desire, Desire, Desire," arch line readings hamper a play already on the verge of going to sleep with archness. But the first two plays of the evening fulfill anyoneıs expectations of late-night theater: hilarious, edgy and relentlessly hip, they nonetheless bristle with genuine emotional intensity, constructing imaginary families with real tears in them." - John Beer, New City
Reviews of W;t
A
Heartfelt Tour-de-Force
She died slowly;
spent eight months suffering in the care of impersonal
hospital orderlies and doctors. Dr. Vivian Bearing, PhD, was
a renowned scholar studying John Donne's 17th century
metaphysical poetry when she was diagnosed with terminal
ovarian cancer. Wit, an intensely moving play by Margaret
Edson, gives touching insight into Vivian's struggle against
death, and her attempt to understand the inconceivable. The
Papillion-La Vista High School players, of Papillion,
Nebraska, present this play beautifully, with heartfelt
moments and honest displays of raw emotion.
This show is
fraught with catharses of every kind: tortured laughs at
awful ironies, touching humor, desperate sobs. Leading the
audience through this breathtaking play is Danielle O'Farrell as
Vivian. How can one accurately describe her performance in
this role of a lifetime, this tour-de-force? Wit is very
nearly a one-woman show, and O'Farrell is beyond outstanding
in her role. Completely convincing in every way and very
honest as her desperate character, the tumultuous applause
at the end of the show (which had no intermission) was an
abrupt transition from the reality of her character's
trauma, which left much of the audience speechless for
minutes afterwards.
O'Farrell slid
easily between the various facets of her character, who,
doubling as narrator of the play, frequently re-enacts
moments from her past. She portrays Vivian's present self: a
witty, intelligent, and desperate 50-year-old
woman&emdash;and her prior selves: an inquisitive
5-year-old, an eager undergraduate student, and an
unrelenting but talented teacher. In the wrenching hospital
scenes, horribly realistic bouts of nausea, fever, pain, and
fear leave the audience nearly as distraught as Vivian
herself.
A very strong
cast supports O'Farrell. Standouts include Rusty Perry as
Jason Posner, a former student of Vivian's and now a lead
researcher at the hospital where she is staying. Perry's
character is thoroughly developed; his motivation is clear
at every moment. Chrissy Starks gives a strong performance
as Susie Monahan, a sweet but ignorant nurse. Prominent
among the play's many touching moments is when Adam Weldon,
as a physician, helps Vivian through bouts of intense
pain.
An authentic,
impersonal hospital ward dominates the multi-faceted set in
this production that is very strong technically. Lighting
helps focus the attention on various parts of the stage, and
sound is nearly perfect.
"Hi. How are you
feeling today?" asks Vivian as she walks onstage at the
beginning of the play. "Fine" would be an appropriate
response at the outset of the show, but the tense, tearful
faces that exit the auditorium two hours later would respond
more along the lines of "Astounded" by this grand example of
the absolute best in high school theatre.
Lindsay Tanner,
Cappies Critic, Langley High School, McLean, VA
The Power of Wit
Captivates the Audience
According to
Webster's dictionary, "wit" means to "suggest the power to
evoke laughter by remarks showing verbal felicity or
ingenuity and swift perception especially of the
incongruous." And by this definition it can be assumed that
The Papillion-La Vista Monarch Theatre, from Papillion,
Nebraska hasÉWit. This show, almost a one-woman drama, emits
emotion right from the very beginning through the wrenching
climax. This show demands emotional flexibility and
maturity.
Winner of the
1999 Pulitzer Prize in drama, Margaret Edson's Wit follows
the advanced chemo treatment of Vivian Bearing, who has
stage four ovarian cancer. Vivian has a PhD in 17th Century
literature and takes delight in John Donne's poetry.
Especially his Holy Sonnet: "Death, be not proud," which she
quotes throughout the duration of the play.
There is no
intermission, but pure emotion and heart, sustaining the
mood and energy of Danielle O'Farrell's incredible
performance. Even when just lying in bed, O'Farrell gives an
honest depiction of a deathly ill middle-aged cancer
patient. Other performers solidly portray the ironies and
paradoxes of dealing with illness and death. As Her doctor,
Adam Weldon tells her straight up she has cancer. Rusty
Perry plays a former student who has to examine her, a
circumstance she finds "thoroughly degrading." Chrissy
Sparks brings a sweet light as a young nurse who takes care
of Vivian during her trauma.
The ensemble
also gives genuine performances. In the lecture scenes, each
student has his or her own persona. Medical students aid in
the reality of the show, asking questions, taking notes, and
listening to Jason as Vivian lies there "and looks
cancerous." As she gives a monologue, Jason talks beneath
her to the med students at a quieter volume, a neat effect
that gives depth to the scene. Even though the actors are in
shadows in some scenes, and some key stage areas are not
fully lit, the actors use the stage completely and
well.
Some scenes
might make a less mature audience uncomfortable, but the
actors (and their silent, emotinally absorbed audience)
handle this difficult play with maturity. The characters are
easy to get to know&emdash;and love. One can sense the
audience shedding tears at rough spots, or sharing giggles
at the "inside" jokes.
The Papillion-La
Vista players took on a difficult challenge and arrived at
the ultimate goal of theatre: getting the audience
powerfully involved in the life of a character we all are
richer for knowing.
Crystal Munson,
Cappies Critic, Chantilly High School, Chantilly VA
Copyright ©
2003 The Cappies, Inc, All Rights Reserved.
Original
Text