The Physicists is a weird little play. Which makes it a great choice for
Dark & Stormy Productions, which specializes in weird and darkly funny little plays.
Written in 1961 by Swiss playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt (who also wrote
The Visit which Frank Theatre, also a purveyor of weird little plays, produced in 2018),
The Physicists is a rumination on science, scientists, and the responsibility they bear for the deeds done with their work (I couldn't help but be reminded of the film
Oppenheimer, which I recently watched on a transatlantic flight). As usual it's well-designed, -acted, and -directed by Dark & Stormy for an entertaining, baffling, and disturbing evening of theater. Since they've once again wisely programmed the show in this dark time between Minnesota Fringe Festival and the start of the new season, you have ample opportunity to
see it at Gremlin Theatre now through September 15 (with next door Lake Monster Brewing and King Coil Spirits providing great dinner-and-a-show or drink-and-a-show opportunities).
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Peter Christian Hansen and Alex Galick
(photo by Alyssa Kristine) |
The show begins with a white sheet-covered dead body on stage (curiously the
second show in a row at Gremlin to feature a dead body on stage). We soon find out the body is that of a nurse at a sanitarium for the mentally ill. A police inspector (Jason Ballweber, injecting some lightness and humor into the proceedings) is investigating the murder, which it turns out is the second such murder of a nurse by a patient in a short time (I don't love the casual use of the murder of women as plot device). The doctor in charge, Mathilde von Zahnd (Artistic Director Sara Marsh once again choosing the juiciest role and giving a hilarious and specifically physical performance) defends her patients, who are all physicists, not coincidentally because she groups like patients together. The three patients are in the sanitarium for various delusions - one believes he's
Sir Isaac Newton (which would make him over 300 years old), one believes he is
Albert Einstein (a little more plausible since he was only recently deceased in 1961), and one believes he's completely sane and that the biblical
King Solomon actually speaks to him. This trio of charming lunatics (or are they?) are perfectly played by Peter Christian Hansen, Pearce Bunting (with Einstein's hair), and Alex Galick. Things take a turn as we find out more about these men and why they're there.
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| Sara Marsh as Dr. van Zahnd (photo by Alyssa Kristine) |
Allison Vincent directs the piece with a consistent tone of intrigue and dark humor, and some of her trademark physical theater style as a co-Artistic Director of Transatlantic Love Affair. At times the talented ensemble members (including Riley Boals, Isaac Bratt, Samuel Osborne-Huerta, Jack Bechard, Noë Tallen, and Keegan Robinson) move with a specific physicality and precise motions, almost like a dance. At nearly two-and-a-half hours (including intermission) the show is a bit longer than Dark & Stormy's usual one-acts, but the pace clips along fairly well despite some weird plot diversions.
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Einstein and his violin (Pearce Bunting, with Jason Ballweber)
(photo by Alyssa Kristine) |
The play is visually stunning, everything about the design thoughtful and precise. The three identical doors hanging in space at the back of the stage could almost give one the idea this is a farce. Period furniture populates the space, and the costumes clearly identify each character. The subtle lighting design can be seen in the chandelier that flickers on cue and the daylight streaming through a window on the side, giving a hint of the outside world. (Lighting design by Shannon Elliott, scenic and props design by Michael James, costume design by Sara Marsh.)
The Physicists is another dark and stormy play (which I happened to see on a dark and stormy night) by Dark & Stormy, well executed by the cast and creative team.
Continuing weekends through September 15.
