|
nocturne by New Village Arts  New Village Arts continues to prove itself to be one of the
greatest contributors to San Diego’s theatre community, this time introducing
up-and-coming, innovative playwright Adam Rapp to our county with the kind of
performance that you can only marvel at.The play begins with the line, “Fifteen years ago I killed my sister,” beginning a man’s biographical journey that takes us through the horrible night when his car struck and decapitated his young sister, the following estrangement from his parents who never recovered, his personal search for some identity and healing through literature, his attempt to find love, and eventually coming full circle when he reunites with his dying father. A story full of pain and confusion, but with surprising amounts of humor from a man who desperately needs to find some humor in things to hold onto his sanity. The story is told by New Village Arts co-founder Francis Gercke, who turns in one of the most masterful performances of the year as The Son. He is talking to us from his chair, sharing his deeply personal story as if in a casual therapy session with people he feels safe confiding in, occasionally sharing a brief moment with an audience member who laughs at the unexpected humor. His description of receiving his dying father’s autobiography written at the age of nine, and then his final, awkward reunion with his father, is a work of art. Adam Rapp’s language is poetic and chock full of vivid descriptions and similes, often quite unnatural in regards to how normal people speak, but we get the sense he speaks in the style of the literature he become obsessed with and in which he found some salvation. Joshua Everett Johnson displays excellent vision as a director, creating great visuals with the help of a few background characters who mostly silently recreate some of the seminal scenes from The Son's life – Joshua Everett Johnson as The Son when he was younger, Kathryn Herbruck as his mother who withdraws from the world after the accident, George Soete as the listless father trying at the end of his life to find some closure and peace, and Monique Fleming as the supportive red-haired girl who gives him some hope for a future that includes happiness.Performed through May 27, 2006. ~ Cast ~
The Son (Present): Francis Gercke The Son (Past): Joshua Everett Johnson The Father: George Soete The Mother: Kathryn Herbruck The Red-Haired Girl: Monique Fleming Director: Joshua Everett Johnson Set and Costume Design: Kristianne Kurner Lighting Design: Ginger Harris Sound Design: Joshua Everett Johnson Properties Design: Pat Hansen Stage Manager: Amanda Morrow |