|
Weapons of Mass Impact
By Brett Neveu
Directed by Edward Sobel
At A Red Orchid Theatre
1531 N. Wells Street
Chicago, IL
Call 312-943-8722, tickets $20 - $25
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 pm
Special matinee at 3 pm on November 16
Sundays at 7 pm
Running time is 80 minutes with no intermission
Through December 2, 2007
Confusing drama on the effects of terrorism
Chicago playwright Brett Neveu’s world premiere, Weapons of Mass Impact, is a confounding and troublesome work. It is so underwritten that it begs multiple interpretations. Neveu’s trade mark ‘space between the lines’ or unspoken communications is at work here. Neveu seems to examine the effects of terrorism on average people in everyday life? I guess? The vagueness of this underwritten 80 minute leads to uncertainty. The lack of dramatic conflict gives audiences an uneasy feeling. Maybe that is his purpose?
Weapons of Mass Impact finds three working women, Gina (Jennifer Engstrom), Kate (Kirsten Fitzgerald) and Sylvia (Mierka Girten) going through a terrorism survival course sponsored by their employers before they travel abroad on company business. The course is designed to give each the experience of being held for ransom by terrorist. We witness each women’s reaction to the reality-based role playing that features blindfolds, guns put to heads, video tapped confessions and subtle intimidation. The women become so immersed that they begin to believe they are kidnapped. Or are they really being held?
The structure of the play has two of the three women having coffee breaks from the terrorist training during which each tells their life story. We realize that each has hidden fears that only surface in times of extreme tension. Through much mundane dialogue, Neveu makes the case that today’s normal life has fear as an undertow ready to surface quickly with a traumatic event. A sort of post-911 reaction.
The scenes of interrogation were as frightening as the coffee break conversations were tedious. The three women gave excellent performances as each slowly revealed their submerged fears. To me, the play lacks a dramatic storyline; it begs for resolution. It is as if pages of the script were missing. I think Neveu missed an opportunity to make his point with an impact. The topic is worth further examination.
Somewhat Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: November 1, 2007
Jeff Recommended
|
