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The Lake
By Jenny Sandman
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God is not a brain tumor. ---Pil I think we are more like machines than we give ourselves credit for. ---Gina |
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.
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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 |
Retold by Tina Packer of Shakespeare & Co.
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