An Actor Prepares
Eagles Nest Theatre
La Mama Theatre
18 October 2007
Review by Christina Cass
Walking into and through the set of An Actor Prepares by James Adler, is a trip through time. With the ferryman (in this case ferrywoman) musically guiding the audience’s
urban raft. Where you are, you
don’t exactly know, but the set by Magdalena Romanuik is heartbreakingly simple
and heavy with memory. Burning
sage scenting the air immediately transports the viewer to a mystical
time: hanging Druidic runes; shorn
tree stumps; and a white-robed and bearded Mr. Adler all summon up a mystical,
religious experience. I couldn’t
help but feel witchcraft – in all its earth-honesty – hanging in the air. What would Jesus (whom Mr. Adler bears
a striking resemblance to) be doing in the middle of a wiccan warren? Where ancient primal music composed and
performed by Nela Trifkovic resonates through the space.
We soon understand the subtitle, “When Does Peace Mean
War?” of this new Eagle’s Nest Theatre production at La Mama, has on one level
much to do with a struggle against the terrorism of creativity but I came out
with more of a, ‘Heck, when does anything mean anything?’ feeling. The imagery and essence of
this play are stunning: simple and
heartbreaking. They challenge the audience to trust their senses. Do I see
floating runes or shrapnel hanging in the air? Is it a trumpet, a musical
instrument of joy (and reveille) or a carefully deconstructed machine gun? A cradle or a deathbed? These images beg timeless questions of
who are we if we are not what we seem.
None of us are.
That said, the script makes much more sense than in a
stand alone context. It is
intentionally fractured, weaving tales through time and, as a work in progress,
the performances by Ms. Trifkovic and Mr. Adler are courageous.
They really have something very special, very personal and
still accessible here and I hope they take this further because I do think that
very personal work needs an outside eye to help take the next step toward a
mature piece of theatre.
It’ll be hard to find a director as sensitive and
absorbing as Ms. Trifkovic and trust him or her with this piece, but they must
to get to the next level. Once
relieved of wearing two hats, I am quite sure that the talent in the room will
leap up and continue to punt through these deep waters of the story without
fear.
This review originally appeared on AussieThearte.com
