Ithaka
Written by Andrea Stolowitz
Directed by Mitch Golob
at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division (map)
thru April 13 | tickets: $15-$25 | more info
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Breathtaking design enhances this raw, heartbreaking tale
InFusion Theatre presents
Ithaka
Review by Kat Hey
Ithaka presents an Odyssean tale of the events that occur when a soldier returns from time in the battle zone. Playwright Andrea Stolowitz interviewed veterans and their families to present a realistic look inside the mind of the soldier. The result is harrowing, raw, and heartbreaking.
Freed plays the role of the hopeful husband with a bit too much timidity. His character as Lanie’s husband is not believable. Bill is married to a woman who was a Marine before being sent into the battle zone. A Marine is trained to be a different breed of soldier. They are the first ones sent into the most dangerous situations. With this in consideration, Bill’s character should have a bit more of a spine or perhaps be more proactive in her recovery.
Rae-Lyons really hits her stride in scenes with White. There is a sense of true partnership with Evie for Lanie. This is the person who always has her back and has faced death with her. White is simply tremendous as Evie. There is taste of sexual tension between the women and a definitive bond that haunts Lanie. White gives a take no prisoners’ performance as the Marine convoy spotter. Her physical carriage and delivery are smooth and flowing.
Their road trip to fulfill a promise when they got home from the war is much-needed comic relief. They crack jokes and talk about battle in the way that only soldiers can. Lanie truly relaxes around Evie, and yet the dialog has a naturalism to it that gives the humor a dangerous edge. My companion and I were both teary when White sings “In The Sweet Bye and Bye” to soothe Lanie to sleep.
The scenes in Ithaka go back and forth in the time continuum. Andrew L. Saenz appears as Odysseus in Ithaca, Greece during the Trojan War. The purpose of this character is to establish the parallel between mythical battles waged and how modern war begets the same pain and scars. Saenz is capable in the small role, but the parallel is unnecessary and it is a throwaway – much of his dialogue, such as when he refers to return and triumph through the help of the dead, could easily have been spoken by Saenz’ other character, Jacob.
Saenz is far superior in the role of the doctor in the MASH unit in Afghanistan. The scenes with Saenz and Rae-Lyons are searing and poignant. Lanie feels that her trauma is far worse than any that Jacob could know. Saenz quietly tears that assumption apart as he speaks of walking over decayed bodies and losing his family. It is an indelible performance.
The transitions between times are done so skillfully, that it is never obvious where Lanie is psychologically or physically. There are hallucinatory scenes of standup comedy brought on by the drugs she is given in the hospital after an explosion. Rae-Lyons gives a manic edge to the death jokes and draws the audience into the action with a baseball joke.
White also plays Lanie’s missing cat in what could be a dream or a hallucination. It is both a deep moment and a sidesplitting portrayal for anyone who’s had a cat that knew she was king of the castle. It is a pivotal point for the character of Lanie, helping her to determine how she will go forward and begin healing. TinseyRose Torres makes a powerful appearance as Evie’s mother who is also instrumental in helping Lanie move forward. Torres plays the mother without maudlin hysterics but with quite dignity that makes it all the more powerful.
The technical work on Ithaka is breathtaking. I have seen visual projection used before, but the scenes of the rollercoaster and the desert pulled me into the action. Liviu Pasare’s projections are so vivid, that I felt as if I were in that car with the women, and a rollercoaster scene caused some audible gasping in the audience. The actual props are rather sparse and that works perfectly with the bleak theme of war and death, allowing the visual projection to be even more effective.
Stolowitz’ writing is concise and has fantastic dialog bursts that are darkly funny and emotionally devastating. Mitch Golob’s direction is even handed and keeps the back and forth time continuum from causing confusion. Ithaka is a ride along the mind of one soldier among hundreds of thousands. The fact that these soldiers are women ratchets the tension up a hundred fold. War in the modern world knows no delineation of gender roles, and the play’s commentary on the devastation back home is made plain through Lanie’s tormented journey.
Rating: ★★★
Ithaka continues through April 13th at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays 3pm. Tickets are $15-$25, and are available by phone (800-838-3006) or online at BrownPaperTickets.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More info at InFusionTheatre.com. (Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission. Note: Tickets are free for veterans and members of the military)
Photos by Cole Simon
artists
cast
Meredith Rae-Lyons (Lanie), Anji White (Evie, The Cat), Nick Freed (Bill), Andrew L. Saenz (Odysseus, Jacob), TinseyRose Torres (Evie’s Mother), Matt Fleming, Carey Lee Burton (understudies)
behind the scenes
Mitch Golob (director), Dave Ferguson (scenic design), Nick Carroll (lighting design), Nicole Malmquist (assistant lighting design), Liviu Pasare (video design), Christopher Kriz (sound design), Rachel Sypniewski (costume design), Angela Campos (props design), Aaron Shapiro (production manager), Tara Malpass (stage manager), Michael Wax (technical director), Rob Grabowski (assistant director), Rose Sengenberger (dramaturg), Blair Robertson (casting director), Cole Simon (photos)
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