|
Thomas Jones and Ashley Bishop in "The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year" one of four plays by John Guare in Eclipse Theatre Company's production of 4 By Guare. Photo: Johnny Knight
|
4 By Guare
by John Guare
directed by Julie Daley, Laura Kepley, CeCe Klinger, Greg Werstler
Through September 8, 2002
Eclipse Theatre Company
Athenaeum Studio 3 Theatre
2936 North Southport
Chicago, Illinois
Box office: (773) 935-6860
http://www.eclipsetheatre.com
An evening of one-act plays can be a dreary affair. It is the nature of this form that these plays are short on character development, the consequences of actions, ambiguity, and subtext -- some of the most powerful elements of drama. Even if the plays were written by a single playwright, there is usually less of the playwright's vision in several randomly chosen one-acts than one solid two, or three-act play. And, if the one-act plays are presented in chronological order, the limitations of the form often prevent any clear indication of the playwright's ideological or dramaturgical growth. Happily, Eclipse Theatre Company has avoided these pitfalls in its production of 4 By Guare, four one-act plays of John Guare, the focus playwright of their 2002-3 season. This production is much more than a performance of a quartet of one-act plays; it is a delightful kaleidoscope of Guare's theatre, which embraces and celebrates the chaos of the world.
Like a kaleidoscope, the performance of 4 By Guare is a symmetrically designed series of changing scenes, surrounded by the unifying vision of John Guare. The central image of the production's rectangular theatrical poster by graphic designer Jemal Diamond -- the playwright's name above four squares of images of the plays -- is mirrored in the staging of the plays: the one becomes the four but is always the one. At the beginning of the performance, there are four (two by two) panel/screens. During the performance, colors and patterns are projected on these screens to suggest background and mood. At the beginning of the performance, there are also four square platforms (two by two) on the stage. At the beginning of 4 By Guare, the cast performs a brief tableaux of each of the plays, on separate platforms. During the performance, the platforms are constantly reconfigured -- into a penthouse terrace, a platform for a park bench, a hang gliding launch site, and street corners for a peaceful walk in the neighborhood. The kaleidoscope effect is enhanced by Cecil Averett's sound design that is heavy on the folk guitar idiom; the colorful lighting design by Chris Corwin, and Michelle Lynette Bush's quirky "period" costume design. On a purely sensory level, the fluid staging of the plays, which are performed without intermission, makes for an enjoyable theatrical experience. Yet, 4 By Guare is also a knowing expression of John Guare's vision of the function of the theatre.
John Guare believes that playwrights must reject "kitchen-sink naturalism" in order to resolve "the tension between surface reality and inner reality." For Guare, the true nature of the theatre is "a place of poetry, song, joy, a place of darkness where the bright truth is told." The truth that Guare sees is that the world is in a "chaotic state." (John Guare, John Guare: The War Against the Kitchen Sink (Contemporary Playwrights Series, Smith & Kraus:1996).)
Guare wrote the quartet of plays in 4 By Guare over a period of 20 years, although Eclipse does not present them chronologically. "In Fireworks Lie Secret Codes" was written in 1981; "The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year" in 1966; "Talking Dog" in 1985; and "Something I'll Tell You Tuesday" in 1966. Although Guare believes that with each play, a writer moves on, he does not necessarily think that this reflects a change of vision. "Well, I think that a play in a sense is an exorcism. I mean you write a play because it's dealing with something that you want to clean out of your life. You're trying to come to terms with something. And when it's over, whatever the result of the play is, you're moving on to something else." (John Guare, "A Reunion of Playwrights Shaped in One Crucible," New York Times (September 24, 2000). The panel, which included Edward Albee, Arthur Miller, Horton Foote, and John Guare, was moderated by The Times's theater columnist, Jesse McKinley.)
The Eclipse production accentuates Guare's vision of the chaotic and the disparate, as well as his non-realistic dramaturgy. Complimenting the kaleidoscope effect of the staging, each of the plays has a different director and thus, a different acting style.
The first of the quartet "In Fireworks Lie Secret Codes" (1981), is directed by Julie Daley. In a penthouse terrace on Manhattan's West Side, represented by the four platforms, a group of friends gather to watch the Macy's Fourth of July fireworks display on the Hudson River. They sip wine and call out the changing colors, which are reflected on the four background screens. But there is uneasiness beneath their sophisticated calm: one of the two male lovers who share the penthouse has decided to return to his native England; another couple admits that they are fleeing Manhattan life for suburban New Jersey. As the play ends, the friends continue to exchange amusing anecdotes in the spirit of relaxed companionship, in the face of uncertainty. Under Ms. Daley's direction, the five-member cast presents the smartly attired characters as both assured and troubled. They perform while the colors and the movement of the fireworks mirror this turmoil.
"The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year" (1966) is directed by Greg Werstler. HE and SHE first meet when SHE is feeding pigeons in the park, and HE asks her for the plastic favor at the bottom of the Crackerjack box. HE tells her that his wife takes all his money, bends the coins in her teeth, and shoots at his feet with a rifle with a blue silencer. SHE doesn't know what to make of him, but they begin to meet regularly, and gradually they learn more of each other as their curiosity heightens and their bizarre stories unfold. This play seems to present characters that are the mirror opposite of the New York sophisticates. But in an absurd, chaotic world, Guare presents them as quite similar. Mr. Werstler directs his two actors, Ashley Bishop and Thomas Jones, in performances that animate Guare's vision of the world's madness.
"Talking Dog" (1985) is directed by Laura Kepley. A man takes his girlfriend hang gliding in the Catskills for the first time, prompting her to overcome her fears. She does it, and hears him say -- in flight -- "I love you." She doesn't mention it, but glides two more times to hear those words again. When she realizes it may not be him she hears, she decides it is nature talking. The message takes on a more profound meaning for her. She glides solo. But he thinks she can't take a joke (about a talking dog) and moves on, constantly searching for someone who understands him. This play is the most surrealistic in staging: the two hang gliders are lifted aloft by four blue coverall-clad actors, with dark glasses. The light and clouds are projected on the screens. This play also expresses the wonderment and delight in the world, even if absurd. The play presents another piece in the kaleidoscope of Guare's vision. When Krishna Salman and Zak Brown are elevated by the four gliders, the whoops of awe and joy are infectious.
"Something I'll Tell You Tuesday" (1966) is directed by Cece Klinger. Two couples, one old, one young, are at a point of crisis in their lives. About to enter the hospital for treatment of what may be a more grave condition than her daughter and son-in-law suspect, Agnes reassures her husband, Andrew, and asks that they walk to the hospital together. They walk along slowly, enjoying the fine day, stopping for coffee, reminiscing about the past. They realize that, looking back, what they miss most of all is what their daughter and her husband have now -- the glorious, exhausting, infuriating, but exhilarating fights, and the energy to make the most of them. This is what Agnes will speak of on Tuesday. This play looks at the importance of those feelings of exhilaration that life can engender. In recognition of Guare's anti-realism, Ms. Klinger's direction achieves a wonderful mood of tranquility that is juxtaposed to the play's message. This last play of the 4 By Guare quartet is a fitting end to a production that could have been so much less than the expertly staged performance by the Eclipse Theatre Company. It is quite nice.
4 By Guare. The Eclipse Theatre Company performs a quartet of one-acts by John Guare: "The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year," "In Fireworks Lie Secret Codes," "Talking Dog," and "Something I'll Tell You Tuesday." Athenaeum Theatre, second-floor studio theater, 2936 N. Southport, 312-902-1500. Through September 8: Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 PM; Sundays, 3 PM. $15-$18.
--Sandra Marie Lee
|
