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A CurtainUp Review

The Lake
By Jenny Sandman




God is not a brain tumor. ---Pil

I think we are more like machines than we give ourselves credit for. ---Gina
e Playwright Gary Winter shows every indication of joining fellow Flea regulars Mac Wellman and Len Jenkin in their free-form wheeling explorations of the limits of American English. Winter's characters revel in wordplay, in seemingly oblique conversations and in their strange and inexplicable circumstances.

Their wordplay is object-oriented, centering around a lake, and its effect on each of the characters. Effluvia from the lake-pebbles, seaweed-make their way onto the stage and even into their mouths.

Pil and Gina are a young couple staying at a beach house. Pil is the self-styled man of the house; his job, as he proudly tells everyone, is to fix things. Gina, troubled over something, spends a good deal of time swimming in the lake, and much of her time onstage is spent dripping wet. They talk in a convoluted, almost private language that is full of intimations and hidden meanings. Two of Gina's friends stop by. Maddy, a free spirit, brings a breath of fresh air to the play. Nora, laden with shopping bags, is less welcome. She's trying to bring in the outside world, and the others want no part of that.

This is a simple production that lets the language take the limelight (so to speak). Members of the Bat Company Jennifer Boggs (Nora), Lanna Joffrey (Gina), Dan O'Brien (Pil), and Sayra Player (Maddy) offer another top-notch ensemble performance. Joffrey and Player are the strongest actors of the bunch, with magnetic stage personas and a firm grasp on their admittedly elusive characters. Director Hayley Finn keeps it simple, highlighting the tenuous relationships. The one set element is an electronic message board, which displays clever stage directions periodically. ("Maddy enters with a sack of potatoes." "Gina does not take off her clothes.")

The Lake is not crowd pleaser. Those who enjoy their plays as neatly wrapped narrative packages will be frustrated. If you don't mind a play that's a puzzle, wrapped in a coating of linguistic experimentation, you'll find it worth the mental effort.

THE LAKE
Written by Gary Winter
Directed by Hayley Finn
With Jennifer Boggs, Lanna Joffrey, Dan O'Brien and Sayra Player
Lighting Design by Benjamin C. Tevelow
Sound Design by Robert Kaplowitz
Costume Design: Melissa Schlachtmeyer
Running time: One hour and fifteen minutes with no intermission
The Flea Theatre, 41 White Street; 212-226-2407
April 21st through May 21st; dates and times vary. All tickets $15
Reviewed by Jenny Sandman based on May 13th performance
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©Copyright 2004, Elyse Sommer, CurtainUp.
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