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The Magician
By Ingmar Bergman
Directed and adapted by Laurence Bryan
At National Pastime Theater
4139 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL
Call 773-327-7077, tickets $25
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
Running time is 1 hour, 45 minutes with intermission
Through December 15, 2007
Slow paced confusing drama fails to deliver enough magic
National Pastime Theater’s artistic director, Laurence Bryan, adapted and directed Ingmar Bergman’s The Magician. I suspect he should have found either another adapted or another director since the production suffers from being confusing and extremely uneven and slowly paced. Theatre works best as a collaborative enterprise. The Magician has too many long blackouts for scene changes adding to the long silent pauses and empty stage interludes that killed any dramatic tension.
The play is supposed to be a “tale of mystery, magic and erotic explosion.” I found it excruciatingly slow and plodding, totally devoid of focus. Dividing the show into two acts with a log intermission hurt the show. Mysteries work better on stage with a brisk, fast-paced one act that builds up tension and drama as the story unfolds. This show is flat as we never relate to the characters since it isn’t clear what the stakes are and with whom we should empathize. As presented, The Magician is a series of unresolved stories with a “so what” conclusion that leaves most of the stories hanging. The abrupt ending left me unsatisfied.
Set in 1840’s Sweden, we find a gypsy troupe traveling with their magic show featuring love potions, healing drugs and supernatural inspired magic tricks. The local town sheriff and a medical doctor and a leading town elder doubt the veracity of the gypsies. The troupe is ordered to provide evidence of divine inspiration or be exposed as a fraud. This promising premise never delivers as the play become too many stories with no through dramatic line.
We see meet Turbal (Django) the fast-talking gypsy huckster and Grandmother (Cyndi Rhoads) the ancient alchemist with the potions. These characters deserve our attention but they got lost with so many stories. The Egerman’s are hosting everyone in their large house and they have a mystery of how their daughter died. The mother is obsessed with her grief and she wants the gypsy leader, Vogler (Michael Gillett) to use his magic powers to help her understand the death. If this story isn’t confusing enough, the program lacks both photos and last names of the characters making identifying characters quite difficult. The blocking placed characters with the backs to most of the audience and/or in a far corner of the stage making many strain to see.
If only the show, had more magic and a more streamlined story with a focus on building dramatic tension with characters we cared about, it could work as fine entertainment. With a flat climax and a silly ending where the doctor tries basic magic tricks, The Magician fails. I suspect there is a stage worthy play hidden here. I didn’t see it.
Not Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2007
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