Reviewed by Doc Lawrence
ATLANTA-Walker Percy remains one of the influential voices of
Southern literature. One of his important books, Lost in the Cosmos was
adapted for the stage by Tom Key and is now being performed at the amazing
Balzer Theatre at Herren’s, home to Theatrical Outfit, which continues its
mission of presenting the best stories from the South.
In partnership with Dad’s Garage Theatrical Company, Key’s
adaptation, a consolidation of his strengths as a playwright, stays true to
Percy, asking us to imagine earthlings transported to a faraway planet with
intelligent life: Would they be accepted or banned as a threat to a more
evolved universe?
To know Walker Percy’s works is to plunge into the adventure
of existentialism, a literary and philosophical world commonly associated with
the likes of Jean-Paul Satre and Simone de Beauvoir. Percy who spend a good
deal of his youth in Athens, Georgia, has been described as a “Dixie
Kierkegaard,” and until his death in 1990, was widely admired for the success
of his novels that embodied one of the major tenants of existentialism as a
driving concern for human freedom and the consequences that accompany efforts
to attain it.
The last self-help seminar begins with the cast searching
the audience for a subject. After elimination, one person is selected and the
process begins. It takes a while to get on board, but the script is generally
light hearted and liberally salted with bon mots and hilarity. The
second half is a journey into the greater universe and a closer look at our
planet; an exploration for a better society. Ultimately, there are two simple
choices, but like all tomorrows, there are perceived risks.
Don’t we face choices almost daily that include unknowns?
Are we to be cosigned to a status quo based on fear? Have we allowed current
events to undermine our faith and self-confidence?
Ultimately, we will make choices and even the most
insignificant may alter everything. A move from Atlanta to rural Tennessee is
loaded with unknowns. Relocating to Mars with Elon Musk’s project to establish
a colony would surely mean no return.
Tightly directed by Kevin Gillese, the performances are at
times spellbinding. Bart Hansard as Derek, the seminar maestro, leads the tour
de force. With cameo appearances from imaginary TV hosts and one mindless tweet
from a buffoon, there’s more than enough to demonstrate how well humor and
irony fit seamlessly into Southern storytelling. It’s part of the fabric that
makes us so darn mysterious.
Images by Christopher Bartelski and BreeAnne Clowdus Photography.
No comments:
Post a Comment