Sweet Dreams

Western secular humanism points to adulthood as the period in which the individual's youthful idealism is defeated by the disillusioning forces of recognized sexual roles and intellectual practicality. In the 90s, the question of sexuality includes not just gender but sexual orientation and the use of sex as an instrument in many unrelated spheres of activity. Angela Delichatsios' Madeleine explores this reality, in a manner very reminiscent of the cataclysmic sexual role-playing and use of illusion in Edward Albee plays, especially in his Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Living in a confining, rented apartment in Martha's Vineyard, Madeleine and her roommate, Fergus, joust with each other intellectually and sexually after drinking a hallucinogenic tea that Fergus purchases from a street vendor. Madeleine finds frustrations in her paltry job, over-bearing summer theatre director and contradictory impulses towards flirting and serious involvement. In a series of bizarre dreams, she draws in Fergus and other characters from her closed world. In his own dreams involving a mysterious dancer, Fergus explores his frustration in his bisexuality, his inability to finish his book, and his exhiliratingly passionate nature.

In the end, when Madeleine and Fergus find that it is each other that they want, the confluence of their hallucination leads to a cataclysmic end, when both are left without the friendship they had once trusted, drained of their former illusion of security at least in each other.

Solid performances were delivered by Michelle Sullivan, as Madeleine, and Spyros Poulios, as Fergus. The two leads seemed to push along the absurdist plot with energy. Poulios's intriguing accent and slurring, as well as his convincing passion were marvelously sustained throughout the work. His blocking and gesturing captured the simultaneously introverted and erotic Fergus with aplomb. Although sometimes dwarfed by Poulios's emotion and improvisation, Sullivan put together a convincing dramatic collage of her own as the tough and straight-talking Madeleine, a Madeleine that is intellectually, though not emotionally, in touch with Fergus's elan. Yet despite her strong interpretation of the theme, a weakness arose with their non-spoken rapport. Sullivan's often stolid looks during Poulios's passionate monologue's seemed incongruous. Her gestures and portrayal of surprise or rage were often not very convincing.

Julie Zikherman (Fergus's fantasy woman/ summer theatre director Ellen), Lilja - Gretarsdottir (Madeleine's friend Jane) and Bruce Havelock (actor Eric), had roles in only the dream sequences. Zikherman wasn't expressive or endearing in her role as Ellen and gave little definition to her role as the dream dancer. Havelock had very little to do. But Gretarsdottir was solid in executing the role of the plain-speaking and overtly caring friend Jane.

The production was more hurt by what was done off-stage than what occured on it. The production's selection of music was appropriate in the dream sequences, but the use of nature sounds and meditation instruction was incongruous and irrelevant when used before the first scene. The sparse and unimaginative set, though not inspiring, luckily didn't seem to hinder the development of the theme. Technically, the best part of the show was its lighting; though limited in extent it was appropriate and well-coordinated during the extent of the production.

Delichatsios's Madeleine had both an imaginative theme, good leads and good lighting. Yet its over-ambition translated into underdeveloped characters and incongruities that severely hurt the total effect of this fair production.