The Flu Season

From: "will stackman" profwlll@yahoo.com

Subject: Quicktake - "The Flu Season" by Will Eno

Date: Sun, Apr 29, 10:31 PM

Quicktake on THE FLU SEASON

     Whistler in the Dark, which has performed previously at the Charlestown Working Theater--and no doubt will do so again--is currently presenting the Boston premiere of post-modern playwright Will Eno's "The Flu Season." over in Watertown. The Black Box space opened officially last fall with the New Rep's production of Eno's more recent "Thom Pain (based on nothing), a monodrama performed by Diego Arciniegas. Eno's earlier play has a cast of six, two omnipresent as the Prologue and the Epilogue, whose commentary frames the action. Prologue is Ed Hoopman, who recently completed a run as Hamlet for the New Rep's school tour, while the acerbic Epilogue is Jennifer O'Connor, one of Whistler's Artistic Associates and Company Manager of the Imaginary Beasts from Lynn for which she last played a Dromio.

    The storyline concerns the Man, played by Nael Nacer and the Woman, done by Meghan Newsmith. Both are newcomers at a residential mental health facility, where they interact, barely, with the Doctor, done by David LeBahn, and the Nurse, Shelley Brown, two rather superficial professionals. There's an air of autobiography about the situation, which may simply be Eno's way with words and fervid imagination. A somewhat predictable plot takes a little too long to unfurl, but director Ben Fainstein and the cast hold the audience's attention.

     The various locales around the sanitarium are indicated by a few movable pieces of furniture and Andrew Dickey's area lighting. The tragedy of the Woman is largely due to the lack of affect on the part of the Man. No one's past is really much explored; this is very much a play in the present. Whistler in the Dark has previous presented works from the world stage. With this effort by Eno they come to these shores (Brooklyn), but will open next fall with another Howard Barker enigma "A Hard Heart." Before then we may see some local writing at the second "Fever Fest," this time to be presented at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center Aug. 23 - 25. Imaginary Beasts will be doing a show based Lorca's puppet pieces about "Don Cristobal and Sena Rosita," Aug 9 through 18 at the Arsenal Black Box. Both companies are outstanding examples of the new wave of Boston's theatre Fringe. By the way, the title of this piece may refer to the winter season during which the action unfolds. Or it may not. With Will Eno you never know.

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"The Flu Season" by Will Eno, Apr. 27 - May 5

Whistler in the Dark at Downstage Black Box, Arsenal Center for the Arts

321 Arsenal St. Watertown MA, (617) 923 - THTR
Whistler in the Dark