Kickstarter

Creator Timothy Michael Burke on June 25, 2011

Review from the first production-

"A Dream Play" is a UConn production that truly defies traditional categorization. This hybrid of puppetry and acting, in which scenery and time are boundless, becomes what director Joe Therrien calls an "intense examination of living, an intense examination of human life." On stage, "A Dream Play" is one hell of a psychedelic, scattered and manic experience, one that will not soon be forgotten.
Therrien adapted the play from August Strindberg's 1902 script, originally written after a near-psychotic episode. He shortened the two-hour original to around an hour and 15 minutes, but thematically little has changed. The show still goes for the jugular with its outsider look into humanity. Love, materialism, depression, inequality and cynicism breathe through the characters. The darkness from the original comes through; it's quite possible that the gloomy plot is even more fitting in today's society.
In "A Dream Play," Agnes, daughter of the gods, is sent to Earth for the first time. Her purpose is to see if human life is as difficult as all of humanity's complaints make it out to be. Along the way, she meets a multitude of characters, both actors and puppets. The naivety and shock she displays at seemingly "normal" human concepts, such as divorce and greed, are in many ways Strindberg's personal commentary on human affairs.
I've been privileged to see this immense technical and creative challenge performed twice. It really only started to make sense the morning after, when I was jolted awake, mid-dream, by a friend. I could make more sense of it, and the show became more real. Yes, I dreamt about "A Dream Play." And that's exactly what Therrien wants. As CRT Artistic Director Vince Cardinal said, "It's Strindberg's vision, but it's Joe's dream."
Immensely memorable lines flow from the actors, with the best being, "You made us great thinkers, but we lost control of our thoughts," "Beauty and terror often go hand-in-hand" and "Do you now understand what love is, with its utmost joys merged into its upmost suffering, with its mixture of what is most sweet and most bitter?"
Following Friday's opening night performance, an audience member said, "I don't even know what to think about it; I'm just thinking about myself."
That is not an uncommon experience for this show. Therrien wants the audience thinking, "This is about us?"
Make no mistake, "A Dream Play" is a densely packed, visually visceral performance. Without facial expressions, puppeteers and masked actors use highly choreographed, challenging movement; their bodies generate emotion. It's possible to lose the dialogue and the storyline by concentrating solely on the visual experience. The lighting is tastefully and colorfully done, bringing a simple set to many different places within the dream.
Shakespeare & Company actor and audience member Brendan Sokler commented, "The mastery of movement and subtlety that is required to make these puppets living characters is a testament to the immense dedication of the cast and Joe Therrien. The play is impressive, brutal and should be seen."
While beautiful to the eye, the show also doesn't disappoint the ears. A grungy, modern soundscape sets the dark mood. Bass heavy, hip-hop style dance numbers provide some comic relief and pace the show. Samples of Pink Floyd's "Time" and the Beatles' "The End" are perfectly placed and serve the script without being gratuitous. Rhythmically, the music, the puppeteers and the actors were all spot-on.
All of these elements come together into an unconventional, in-your-face examination of humanity's flaws. It really doesn't matter what the audience gets from the show, as long as it spurs thought. Regardless, "A Dream Play" promises to be the best legal (and cheap!) "trip" available on campus.
See "A Dream Play" yourself at the CRT Studio Theatre, running until April 3. Student tickets start at $6. More information at http://crt.uconn.edu