Acting Up

Cilicia A. Yakhlef

Getting Closer

Take four unconventional people, two men, two women, all of whom posses healthy libidos. Bring them together long enough to brew a strong cup of sexual chemistry. Let them drink it all until their heads are spinning, then separate them and place them in a maze of conventional paradigms. Raise the lights, roll out a light hearted plot, sprinkle on some clever dialogue and let the mental mayhem begin.

Curious Theater Company's production of Closer, at the Acoma Center marks the regional premier of Patrick Marber's contemporary romance. The play can be seen through March 3. The venue is a story in itself -- a refurbished Denver church -- which not only has an aesthetically appropriate space to serve as backdrop for this piece, but also enough technical accouterments to make the play sizzle.

Staging a play that requires British accents can, however, be like mixing batter for scones. If you beat it to death, the scones will fall flat -- not enough and you'll wind up with an unpalatable bunch of lumps. To their credit, director Chip Walton and his four member cast produce a consistent, believable bit o' the Brit -- enough to flavor the dialogue and cement the setting without distracting from the action.

Closer is a story of haphazard sexual attraction, love and folly realized between Alice, a street-wise stripper, Dan, a budding novelist, Anna an emerging photographic artist, and Larry a cosmetic surgeon. The character's occupations, as well as their actions speak to the message between the lines: facades work for a while, but are ultimately doomed to fail. Rather than focus on a message that's been beaten to death, however, Marber spins out a lively group of characters and shows us the comical, if poignant undercurrents of an inherently awkward relationship between the four. It is in fact the comic shading that makes the reality of pain and betrayal palatable enough to swallow comfortably.

By far, the most colorful comedy comes in the form of chatroom e-sex conveyed with seamless clarity via tandem e-mail stage scenes with type displayed on a giant screen. It is quite an impressive scene in that, although there is very little physical action on stage and no verbal dialogue to speak of, the audience is held completely enthralled by the vigorous interior action taking place within the characters' minds. The scene marks a well written and skillfully directed incorporation of technology and black box theater which culminates in the emergence of fifth stage presence: the computer screen. In keeping with the theme of the play, the computer acts as a catalyst for love but also facilitates deception to a raucously comical degree. Although this scene isn't intended for prudish minds, it rocks the audience into that deliciously uncomfortable space that lies somewhere between shock and hilarity.

The potential for sobbing breakups is maxed out in a menage a quatre such as this and sure enough, there are plenty of them coupled with pursuant make-ups, which bring the dramatic action full circle. A nice bit of scripting to be sure.

However, the most outstanding quality this play has going for it lies in the thoughtfully executed evolution of the four characters. Transformation is key in theater, and by using an expansive time frame, Marber is able to show us more than the standard ‘slice of life segment. In Closer, the plot progresses through many years, allowing the audience to observe the effects of obsession, delusion, deception and folly during the long term. The perk here is the characters are able to work past the immediate pain of disappointment and betrayal. Although they can't return to naive bliss, by the end of the play the characters do, at least, seem to make some peaceable sense of it all.

Elizabeth Rainer gives a fresh and physical performance as Alice, the waifish nomad who gets unexpectedly hooked -- for a little while at least. Conversely, Tracy Shaffer Whiterspoon is demure and refined in her sublimely sensual portrayal of Anna. Chris Reid is convincing as the intensely predatory self indulgent author Daniel, offset by Erik Sandvold as the romantically awkward, yet endearing Larry.

With lines like, "Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off," and "You don't know the territory because you are the territory", it is evident this is a serious play about the often adversarial psychology that underlies so many modern relationships. Closer brings insight in the form of entertainment. Fresh, realistic language and a clearly plotted dramatic intention make the play both lighthearted and dramatic. And, although the script offers no remedy for this ongoing, real life social dilemma, one can almost hear those ancient whispers Time heals all wounds... reverberating off the walls and vaulted ceiling of the Acoma Center as the characters finally find their peace and the play closes. If you're up for an engaging bit of theatrical intercourse, catch the play. A