Faustus Takes a Turn for the Darker

The Faust legend has been reincarnated in myriad forms: Faust as 16th century necromancer, Faust damned to hell, Faust saved by the grace of God, Faust as 20th century composer. The latest adaptation of Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Fautus, performed at the Loeb Ex last weekend, added a refreshing sense of vitality and humor to the tried and true theme. Director Cary McClennand '02 admitted that one of his main concerns has been adapting the religious theme for the modern-day audience. He feels that Marlowe's play is "timeless," but found it necessary to remove the few historical references that do occur: "We cut and reorganized the script entirely in an effort to streamline the actual story--the result we hope, was a technically dazzling piece."

Indeed the result was quite spectacular. Technically, the play was a sensory splendor--most arresting on the visual plane, but pleasing to more senses than just the eyes. What is immediately apparent is the role of inanimacy in this production, the unspoken heroics of sound and lightning, although purists might have viewed this aesthetic exhibition as more of a reliance than a means to an end. Admittedly, the very hipness of the event did at times seem incongruous with the apparent simultaneous desire for austerity, which is difficult to completely discount with Marlowe's text and the Faust legend in general.

To be sure, the mortality of Faustus (David Egan '00) was highly punctuated not only by the obvious non-human entities played by most of the cast (devils, demon and angels), but also by their all-too-human indulgence in the pleasures of civilized life--grapes in the winter, lapdances and such. But this is not to say that Egan's role was carried on the shoulders of another. Throughout the play, Egan remains the most believable. In spite of the attempt to detract from the religious overtones, it would be difficult to not symphatize with Dr. Faustus in his final attempt for redemption. Here, director McClelland '02 divvied up Faustus's last soliloquy to the cast who in some literal and figurative sense stole Fautus's final plea for God. Equally appropriate was McClelland's decision to impart the additional role of Chorus to vigilant Lucifer (Peter Richards '01), giving the Devil the first and final words. Although Marlowe probably intended to have the conclusion--Faustus heading for a fiery death--to be quite clear, the resulting ambiguity, partly based on a lack of respect for the somewhat comical Lucifer, gives the audience some condolence as to Faustus's final fate.

McClelland's overall vision was a play within a play, with Faustus as the central recipient of a conspiracy unknown to him. The intrigue not only involves deception but also more subtle gestures that aim at including the audience. I had the honor of sitting next to the bad angel (Austin Guest '03) who ingeniously concealed his presence so that he was embodied only in the spotlight he directed at Faustus. This, combined with the cover art of the program, was just another piece of a conceptually consistent production, even if it seemed a bit cryptic at the time.

These nuances constitute a pleasure, but the inclusion of the touches of modernization is nonetheless slightly problematic. An understanding of McClelland's final vision counts more on some level than the exhibition of the play. I am not speaking of the portrayal but more of the device. But this criticism aside, Dr. Faustus was a thoroughly engaging piece that brought some of the highest possibilities of innovative theater back to the Loeb Experimental Theater.