|
Blasted
By Sarah Kane
Directed by Karen Kessler
At A Red Orchid Theatre
1531 N. Wells
Chicago, IL
Call 312-943-8722, tickets $20 -$25
Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 7 pm
Special additional matinee at 2 pm Feb.18
Running time is 90 minutes with no intermission
Through March 4, 2007
Explosive, gritty and bold take on terrorism
A Red Orchid Theatre specializes in raw, raunchy, in-your-face realism where the actors leave everything them have both psychology and emotionally on the stage during each performance. You’ll not find actors more intense and dedicated to their craft than the fearless troupe led by gutsy Guy Van Swearingen. Blasted sure is a wild, surreal, explosively terrifying evening of theatre. It isn’t for the weak, timid or faint-of-heart. It is a raw work written by and containing insane characters. Sarah Kane’s 1995 work, Blasted, bolted on the London stage in controversy. It is an unflinching take on terrorism, paranoia, sexuality and insanity. The very primal nature of man is vividly demonstrated here.
 |
A paranoid journalist, Ian (Guy Van Swearingen at his crazy finest) enters a motel room in Leeds, Britian with a meak 20-something girl, Cate (Helen Sadler). Ian carries a snubnose pistol, drinks and smokes too much and is suffering a fatal desease. He is horny and wants to have sex with the distant and reluncant girl. Cate suffers from studdering which leads to her fainting only to have her awaken into multipule personalities. Cate also has wild mood swings. Ian and her have wildly rough sex and move from tender moments to rage at the drop of a hat. Ian is fatalistic and lives for the moment through drink, smoke and sex. Cate moves from semi-comotose to wildly sensual. These disparities strain the relationship.
 |
When the room is literally blown apart by a mortor blast, (terrific sound by Joseph Fosco and interesting disintergrating sets by Grant Sabin) the tidy modern motel room becomes a blown apart pile of rubble. By that time, Cate has escaped Ian and a war-weary soldier (Hans Fleischmann) armed with an M-16 is terrorizing Ian. He threatens the parnoid Ian with stories of atrotacies he and his fellow soldiers have reaped upon the British homeland. We never learn the who, what and why of the local war--just the horrors of that war. The Soldier is reduced to animal behavior that includes mutalation, rape and murder of civilians. He proceeds to rape Ian and bite his eyes out before killing himself. Another exposion find the now blind Ian stuggling as Cate returns with an infant someone gave her. She and Ian srtruggle for basic human needs--food and drink. Ian wants his pistol back and Cate finds it for him but she removes the bullets. Ian proceeds to put the gun in his mouth and pulls the trigger and, after several riveting attempts, can't kill himself. These are terrifying scenes.
The babby dies and Cate burries it under the floor boards. Ian and Cate are near the end as she leaves to perform sex with the soldiers for food. Meanwhile Ian climbes into the infants grave that allows only his head to appear above ground. Cate returns and feeds Ian as the bleak tale concludes.
This weird tale of terror, insanity and sexuality is a star making role for English actress Helen Sadler. Guy Van Swearingen once again demonstrates his fearlessly powerful stage presence and his amazing acting talent. Hans Fleischmann is intensely scary as the beastly soldier. This is a violent show with nudity, tough language and graphic sexual acts. It is also an intense portriat of insanity and the degradation of the human condition during wartime. Kane sure gave hints to her mental state as witnesse it this provocative play. The work is a textbook look into the Chicago style of raw naturalism and fearless acting. This is A Red Orchid Theatre trademark griddy production. You'll not see braver performance than this anywhere.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: January 26, 2007
Jeff Recommended
|
