Reviewed by Judd Hollander
Lewis Carroll once wrote that the time has come to talk of
many things. In what might be described as an ominous allegory with elements of
pitch-black comedy, Caryl Churchill does just that with her striking one-act
piece, Escaped Alone. The work originating at the Royal
Court Theatre London and currently at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music.
In an almost pastoral backyard setting, Sally (Deborah
Findlay), Vi (June Watson), Lena (Kika Markham) and Mrs.
Jarrett (Linda Bassett), are enjoying the day, swapping bits of gossip and
sharing the latest news. All in the neighborhood of sixty, Sally, Vi and Lena
are long-time friends, while Mrs. Jarrett is a relative newcomer to the group.
She being initially invited to join the others as the play begins, and it's
through her eyes the audience learns about the other three. Explanatory asides
and background information directed in such a way as to bring everyone up to
speed on specific relationships and situations.
However, it's not long before this outwardly genial location
vanishes, via some bands of red lights and crackling sounds, leaving a darkened
stage where Mrs. Jarrett relates how, due to a series of global upheavals,
normal everyday life has ceased to exist. Scenarios where the question is not
how long those still living can survive; but rather how long before the horror
of it all drives those survivors completely insane.
It’s via the continual switching between these two settings
that the full power of Escaped Alone
can be felt. The women, having no inkling of what is to come, are all dealing
with their own personal issues. Matters which pale in comparison to the other
situations presented. Yet at the same time, the apocalyptic horrors described
are all in the abstract - though one could argue that given the current
political state of the world, they may be closer to reality than ever - while
the issues affecting the ladies are completely relatable, understandable, and
to them, life-defining.
Also visible throughout is an overall feeling of biting
commentary. Such as in the first scene, which shows Mrs. Jarrett passing a
large fence which encloses the backyard. She pausing in front of a doorway until
invited inside. The way the sequence is presented making one think of a border wall,
and the myriad of issues that go with it. Even though Churchill wrote this play
before Donald Trump took office, the cord the scene strikes shows how certain
matters not always in the front of public consciousness can quickly move front
and center when circumstances change.
The cast, all of whom came over from London ,
are excellent. Each able to make their characters quite real and fully
believable. Indeed, the four could be any group of women, sitting in any sort
of comfortable surrounding and the play would work just as well. The bond
between Sally, Lena and Vi, and to a lesser degree Mrs.
Jarrett, clearly visible. Even when one of them tries to verbally guide another
in a way the person to whom the comments are directed does not wish to go.
James Macdonald's direction is sure-handed, keeping the
performances restrained for the most part - though all four women have their break-out
moments - while allowing the strength of Churchill's text to come roaring
through. Eschewing the “show, don’t tell” premise, dialogue and description are
the keystones for triggering the audience’s imagination to fill in the nuts and
bolts of the more terrifying moments.
Clocking in at just
under an hour, the work wisely doesn't overstay its welcome. The
switching of scenarios getting more frequent as time goes on, with some of them
so bleak it’s almost a relief when the story returns to the backyard. After all.
who wouldn’t prefer a rousing rendition of "Da Do Ron Ron” to talk of
babies being born without eyes?
A totally absorbing piece about how ordinary people are
forced to deal with the situations life throws at them, Escaped Alone, the title having its roots in the Book of Job and
Moby Dick, is a very powerful and thought-provoking work.
Featuring: Linda Bassett (Mrs. Jarrett), Deborah Findlay
(Sally), Kika Markham (Lena ), June Watson (Vi)
Escaped Alone
by Caryl Churchill
Scenic Design: Miriam Buether
Lighting Design: Peter Mumford
Sound Design: Christopher Shutt
Directed by James Macdonald
Tickets: 718-636-4100 or www.BAM.org
Running Time: 55 minutes, no intermission
Closes: February
26, 2017
