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Fiction
By Steven Dietz
Directed by Nick Sandys
Produced by Remy Bumppo think theatre
At Victory Gardens Greenhouse Theatre
2257 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL
Call 773-871-3000, tickets $35 - $40
Wednesdays thru Fridays at 7:30 pm
Wednesday, Oct. 10 & 24 matinees at 2 pm
Saturdays at 4:30 & 7:30 pm
Sundays at 2:30 pm
Running time is 2 hours. 10 minutes with intermission
Through November 4, 2007
"The lies begin when you lift the pen."---Michael from Fiction
“The point? Why does there need to be a point. . .the Great Reductiveness in which everything we say must be shrunk down to You Make a Point and I Refute it; I Make a Statement and You Rebut It. Is that really the best we can do?” --Michael from Fiction
“A secret, like a disease, is a very human thing. It hides inside you. Discovers where you are most vulnerable. And then it hurts you.”—Linda from Fiction
Fiction is a masterpiece on several levels
Remy Bumppo’s new season opens with a flurry with Steven Dietz’s brilliant Fiction. Filled with wit and elevated language, Steven Dietz has penned a puzzling drama with a complex, multi-layered plot with believable characters in complex situations. Once you get tuned into the urbane dialogue from two intellectuals using sharp retorts and bons mots, Fiction becomes a smart drama that deals with secrets, lies and perceptions of reality. It attempts to answer two questions: Should we keep out deepest secrets from our soul mate and where is the line drawn between truth and fiction in our lives and our art? “I think the most exciting element of Fiction, for me,” said Nick Sandys (the director), “is battling with the puzzle-box of ‘fictions,’…in our everyday lives.
Michael (David Darlow) and Linda (Annabel Armour) are two successful and happily married novelists. When Linda is diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor and she is given only three weeks to live, she asks to read Michael’s diaries since he’ll surely read hers after she departs. This sets off a series of events, both in the present and past (that are seamlessly staged by director Nick Sandys) that rattles the foundation of their marriage. The events outlined in Michael’s diary are mostly played out on stage leaving the line between Michael’s imagined encounters with Abby Drake (Linda Gillum) and the actualized meeting a confused mess.
Both Michael and Linda, it turns out, met Abby at the writers’ camp. First Linda had Abby read her novel which Abby found to be weak and untruthful. Abby told her story of events in South Africa to Linda who incorporated them into her fictional novel. Several years later, Michael was influenced to expand his writing after he had an affair with Abby. So, was Abby responsible for inspiring both writers—one with her beauty and sex appeal and the other with her story of rape and torture? Was Abby a muse who motivated the writers toward self-fulfillment?
Linda forgave Michael for his affair with Abby at the writers camp but became incensed when she read about the various meeting all over the globe between the lovers in the journals. Michael emphatically said that those diary entries were fiction—imagined dreams that inspired his novels and screenplays. These exchanges are laced with scathing wit that collides with raw emotions played out with verve and nuanced acting by David Darlow and Annabel Armour—two of the finest at their craft. Linda Gillum sparkles as Abby
Michael ends up reading Linda’s diary revealing her secrets and the line become further complicated as she reveals her truths. The confusing line comes blurred as the past and present, fact and fiction all seem to contain seeds of doubt. Act two has a few twists that I’ll not reveal so as to not spoil your viewing of the show. A close following of the story will reflect the endearing love Michael and Linda possessed over more than 20 years of marriage. It sheds light on Abby’s role as the muse to the two writers. Fiction also becomes a cautionary tale for those who ponder telling their mate their deepest secrets. Ultimately, Fiction is a love story.
Fiction is a literate, thinking person’s play where two most civilized and sophisticated intellectuals struggle to communicate their own truths. The play is an analysis of the nature of fiction, lies, and truth—are they all perceptions? See this stimulating and marvelously acted play for a glimpse into the nature of truth or fiction. David Darlow and Annabel Armour are a treasure.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: September 30, 2007
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