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Skin In Flames
By Guillem Clua
Translated for the Catalan by DJ Sanders
Directed by David M. Schmitz
At Stage Left Theatre
3408 N Sheffield
Chicago, IL
Call 773-883-8830, tickets $20 - $22 - $25
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
Running time is 80 minutes without intermission
Through March 29, 2008
Riveting reminder of the causalities of war
Stage Left Theatre continues their 26th Season (and 99 production) with a powerful drama of the brutality of war and the scars it leaves. Guillem Clua’s play is set in a third world war-torn region (Yugoslavia or North Africa?). Skin In Flames, now in its Chicago premiere, unfolds as a blistering portrait of the mass marketing of war by governments and the search for forgiveness by individual participants.
We meet Salomon (Gerrit O’Neill), an American photo journalist twenty years after he took a photo of a little girl being thrown through the air by a bomb blast with flames running off her. That photo ignited the world against that particular war. That photo launched Salomon’s career bringing him wealth and fame but not peace of mind. He returns to that war-torn country to receive a prestigious art award as part of a UN arranged public relations event. He is interviewed by a local journalist, Hanna (Amber Starr Friendly) who challenges his status as a national hero.
The hotel room is another character here as we see a surreal event simultaneously with the Salomon interview where in the UN Doctor Brown (Ben Veatch) sexually abuses a local mother, Ida (Susaan Jamshidi). Theses graphic nude scenes depict oral sex and S &M. Dr. Brown’s cruelty is both physical and psychological. The hotel room holds many secrets that need to be witnessed. Without giving away too much, let me say that Skin In Flames is political theatre where the degradation of war and there effects are powerfully dramatized. It puts a face on abuse, guilt and the longing for forgiveness. We realize that Salomon may have crosses the line between being a reporter and a player in the conflict. There are several plot twists here that chronicle the dilemma facing journalists. Should they document violence or stop it? The journalist, Hanna, has personal issues that unfold. The story will leave you on the edge of your seat with anticipation. I can not say more.
We also see how a morally corrupt UN official uses his positions to exploit desperate people. This riveting drama is expertly acted (especially by Gerrit O’Neill and Susaan Jamshidi) and smartly paced as the tension unfolds to its emotional zenith. Skin In Flames is a disturbing cautionary tale worth exploring with all the 21st Century world conflicts going on. Kudos to Stage Left Theatre for mounting this intense drama.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2008
Jeff Recommended
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