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W;t
Presented by: Encore Theatre
Venue: Clayton Community Centre Theatrette
Reviewer: K.E Weber
Date Reviewed: Friday 9th October 2009
Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and
dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,
For, those, whom
thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore
death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
John Donne,
Death Be Not Proud.
Vivian Bearing (Juliet Hayday), within the opening minutes of the
play, calmly announces to the audience, "I think I die at the end."
So, it is a play about death? Well, death is certainly a major
theme within this intricately layered play. Death features in the
form of stage IV metastatic ovarian cancer. Death is
also personified and probed with enthusiastic and
passionate literary criticism. Dr.Vivian Bearing is an
English University Professor of Literature who specialises in the
Holy Sonnets of the 17th Century metaphysical poet John Donne. It
is this deep allegiance to Donne's poetry - and his themes of Death
- that allows Vivien to travel, with courage, toward her end.
W;t is the first play by American kindergarten teacher
turned playwright, Margaret Edson who was inspired to write the
play after her observation of, and interaction with, cancer patients
during a one year clerical post on an oncology/AIDS unit at a
research hospital. Among other honours, the play has earned the
Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Wit - ingenuity, creativity and intelligence - is, of course,
another major theme of the play. Vivian possesses a superior
wit and she extols the wit of John Donne as having been the greatest
of all. Edson poses interesting debate between wit - and the search
for knowledge - and human emotions particularly those of kindness
and compassion.. It is, after all, with a proud sense of
eruditeness that Vivian faces her pre-cancer world yet her final
throes are filled with the desperate desire for simple
human comfort. So, it would seem, Vivian cannot have one without the
other. In my view, the only real flaw in an otherwise brilliant
script. Edson concludes that Vivian's life would have been more
full, and less lonely, if she had embraced and loved her students
as much as she did her mind or her subject.. To my mind a flawed
premise however a character must make redemption and this would seem
to be Vivian's.
As well as Vivian, Edson explores much of this intellect vs.
abstract human emotions debate through the characters of Dr Harvey
Kelekian (Ron Kofler) the dry and technically minded oncologist who
initially diagnosis Vivian's cancer and is head of a research trial
of a new and aggressive drug therapy used in the treatment of
ovarian cancer; Dr. Jason Posner (Daniel Golshevsky) a young
clinical fellow, under the supervision of Kelekian, and completely
dedicated to his medical research; Susie Monahan R.N., who is
Vivian's primary care nurse and responds to her illness with
compassion and humanity; and E.M. Ashford (Judy Corderoy) a Doctor
of Philosophy and Vivian's imposing former college mentor who, in a
particularly moving moment of the play, lies with Vivian in her
hospital bed and, while cradling her now frail body, soothes by
reading not Donne but a simple child's picture book.
W;t is clearly a play about language and the
perceived intellectual conceit (ambiguities noted) that values a
quick and probing mind capable of keen perception above all else
(this is again complemented by the metaphysical conceit of Donne's
poetry) so it would take an effective actor indeed to make us care
for this intellectual tyrant. Juliet Hayday made us care and then
some. Juliet sacrifices much more than her locks for her character.
Juliet gives herself to Vivian so completely that scenes involving
bouts of vomiting and a pelvic exam became complete and truthful in
their humiliation. Juliet brings humanity to her acting - and that
is why we care. Each moment filled with honest emotion so that we
see, and feel, Vivian's fear and bewilderment as her disease
progresses. Juliet has created a credible human being. This
is unashamed, bold, gutsy and effective acting at its finest.
Analogous to Vivian is Dr. Posner who lacks both bed side manner and
capacity for human connection. Both characters are in search of
knowledge at all costs - hers literary, his medical. Should we care
for such a seemingly arrogant and unfeeling individual? The answer
is yes. Daniel Golshevsky allows his Posner to be human above all
else. His objectives are clear and undisguised. Naivety, not
deceit, flows through Posner's veins and it is this guilelessness
that allows us to forgive him in the end.
Edson has written her play using flashback and it is in one of these
moments that we are first introduced to Dr. Kelekian. In his
office, he tells Vivian that she has stage four cancer. He is
straightforward and unsympathetic while explaining her illness, more
concerned with his experimental aggressive treatment of chemotherapy
than discussing her prognosis. Ron Kofler was completely believable
as the self absorbed and self important Kelekian and was equally
as impressive as Vivian's father who we see in another flashback
scene when Vivian is a child. We very quickly understand who
inspired Vivian's love of language as Mr. Bearing helps her to
understand the meaning of the word soporific. A word that once
again holds special significance for Vivian (this time sharing it
with nurse Susie - and becoming the teacher again) as she lies in
her hospital bed so many years after first encountering it in
Beatrix Potter's, The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies. Ron Kofler was
wonderful in this scene - supportive, warm and patient.
The young nurse, Susie Monahan is a blend of compassion,
intellectual simplicity ("Poor Susie’s brain was never very sharp to
begin with,” says Vivian) and moral conscience. Melanie Rowe
captures these qualities and runs with them. Her Susie is flawed -
and therefore endearing - but at all times humane. She is the only
one on the hospital staff who views Vivian as a person and it is in
the final moments of the play when Susie's true strengths are
revealed as she fights to allow Vivian's signed Do Not Resuscitate
waiver to be honoured.
Judy Corderoy brings an honesty and simplicity to her acting that
is truly wonderful to behold. Her E.M. Ashford is convincing when we
first meet Vivian's mentor as she is chastising a paper that
Vivienne has submitted in another flashback some 30 years before and
again when she visits Vivian in her hospital room for the last time.
It is this last that is truly heartbreaking.
The ensemble consists of Stephen Shinkfield, Melissa New and Gordon
Lyon who support the piece with various characters
including doctors, students and a variety of medical staff. This is
a strong ensemble of actors who work well to bring their various
characters to life.
Director, Vicki Smith has entrusted this play to a particularly
strong group of actors. There is also a very strong and clear vision
that runs through the fabric of the piece which has been honoured.
The play is presented on a bare stage that is framed by black
curtaining. Hospital equipment, props and other furnishings are set
and struck with care and efficiency. Hospital equipment consists of
a bed, IV drip, stethoscopes, gowns and other medical paraphernalia
- and all are authentic!! Hospital bed is made up with what seem to
be crisp white sheets.
Clear and concise blocking helps to move the play along smoothly
without any jarring or interference to the story unfolding before
us. Excellent use is made of the full stage and never is a
superfluous movement made by any actor. There is meaning behind
every movement, every nuance, every word!! Vicki is also extremely
truthful to Edson's intent and never allows herself, or her cast, to
drift across into the realm of cheap sentimentality. Emotion is
real and true at all times. Sound is wonderful and delicately
complements as does lighting which highlights acting areas in a
subtle but effective way. We are left with the final
beautiful image as, after her death, Viviane leaves her bed,
disrobes and walks towards a sparkling light. Naked, she stretches
her arms towards the heavens and, as light fades, is gone.
This is, for the most part, an intelligent and uncompromising
play. It creates the kind of haunting, poignant, absorbing and
provocative experience that is the very essence of what the theatre
should be. Regardless of subject matter, no apologies should ever
be made for creating excellent theatre.
Wit will be running at Encore Theatre until October 24. For further
details about booking and venue please visit:
http://www.encoretheatre.com.au/cproductions.html
*The play as published is W;t. In the context of the play, the
semicolon refers to the recurring theme of the use of a semicolon
versus a comma in one of John Donne's Holy Sonnets.
Kris has had a love affair with the stage, and those actors and
directors that honour it, for the past 30 years. She has acted in
over 30 productions with some of the highlights being: Stella in A
Streetcar Named Desire; Alice in I Never Sang For My Father; Pearl
in Summer of the Seventeenth Doll; Helga Ten Dorp in Deathtrap; Lady
Cynthia Muldoon in The Real Inspector Hound and Hilary in Hotel
Sorrento. Kris has directed 20 plus productions with some of the
most memorable being: Agnes of God; Steel Magnolias; Cosi; Last of
the Red Hot Lovers; The Odd Couple (Female Version); The Castle;
Nuts and The Laramie Project. Kris has also been a reviewer for
both print and electronic periodicals and written other theatre
related articles for same. She has been an in-house adjudicator for
various Melbourne theatre companies and runs successful theatre
workshops for small groups of actors. She has also been a critical
observer and advisor to VCE Theatre Studies students preparatory to
their performance exams.
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