Thirst
Written by Jacob Cox
Directed by Scott Olson
at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont (map)
thru Jan 29 | tickets: $13 | more info
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Tunnel Visions
Cold Basement Dramatics presents
Thirst
Review by Clint May
The hallucinatory shadow puppets of three trapped miners in West Virginia bring out their inner angels and demons in this new play by the Cold Basement Dramatics. Set a mile-under-mountain in 1949 West Virginia, the production starts off with a bang as an average workday ends with a massive mine collapse. What follows is a portrait of the three men projecting themselves into the darkness and casting guilt, paranoia and hopes into the void. As the hours turn to days, they begin to realize that even if they survive, what comes out of the mine won’t be what went in.
Foreman Jack Perkins (Frank Pete) has already lived through a collapse. In fact, he was the sole survivor of another cave-in back in 1936. Tales of just how he survived have led to wild speculation in the wake of Jack’s “amnesia” concerning the events. Song-happy Rex (Dan Planz) is a born-and-bred coal man back from fighting in WWII who’s seen his share of tough spots and isn’t about to be easily rattled. Nineteen-year-old Aaron (Ben Peterson) is filled with dreams for a bigger world, and sees mining as a seemingly simple stepping stone. Thrust together by the “bump” (as they call it), they will experience highs and lows together in a long dark night of their souls. As the title suggests, it is the canteens of water that measure not only their ability to survive, but their trust in each other.
An ironic game of hangman played in dirt provides some near-literal gallows humor to stave off boredom, but as speculation of hope turns to a reality of despair, the tone turns to tragedy. Starved minds induce the men into seeing or hearing his past demons resounding off the walls as their minds echo against the silence. Alternately turning on and confessing to each other, they fight to keep the darkness at bay but find out the light holds its own share of fears.
Diminishing to a single point, the staging creates an appropriately claustrophobic setting. Backlit performers melt the rock-face to give glimpses into the miner’s dehydration-induced visions of abuse and adultery.
It all sounds tantalizing on the page, so it’s unfortunate – given the psychological labyrinth – that such a setting takes a somewhat leaden route. Characterizations remain broadly-drawn, with frustratingly unexplored pathways. Any humanity in the story fails to be found soon enough to take hold of the heart in time to invoke a real emotional investment in the men’s fate. The cast tries admirably, but with little exception lacks the necessary gravitas to bring these hard-worn characters to life. At over two-hours, their expositions begin to feel repetitive, and ‘twists’ are projected too early and obviously to be surprising when revealed. A few moments of tension and profundity are sprinkled in, but fail to ignite any insight into men struggling for survival, redemption and a future in their shared existential crisis.
The best tales of humans against impossibly grim odds give glimpses into the shared humanity or dark inhumanity most of us are fortunate to never have to experience. Successful examples give us a vicarious look at ourselves in extraordinary circumstances in the safety of storytelling. Audiences looking to leave shaken or inspired by this tale of desperate men in desperate situations will probably leave disappointed. The men may have reason to fear what they will have become should they leave the mine, but whoever leaves the theater is likely to be frustratingly unaltered.
Rating: ★½
Thirst continues through January 29th at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets are $13, and are available by phone (773-327-5252) or online here. More information at Stage773.com. (Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes, with one 10-minute intermission)
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