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| L - R Judd Hirsch, Tom Cavanagh |
By Joe Straw
In
Moses and Monotheism, By Dr. Sigmund Freud “Freud argues that taking God into the mind
enriches the individual immeasurably. The ability to believe in an internal,
invisible God vastly improves people’s capacity for abstraction.” (Mark
Edmundson, The New York Times, 09-09-2007)
I read Freud’s Last Session by Mark St. Germain several times
and tried to grasp each character’s objective. I must say I couldn’t get a
handle on it and it was driving me to distraction.
In this play, Freud is a confirmed atheist who regarded God
as an illusion. In contrast, C.S. Lewis is an atheist recently turned devout
Christian. Both, C.S. Lewis (age 40) and Sigmund Freud (age 83), are set in
their ways: Who was going to change whom?
And then driving on the Santa Monica freeway, a revelation
came to me. It was the moment, a
wonderful moment in the play, when all questions are answered. That moment in the play, unlike freeway
driving, was subtle and passed quickly. But one can look back at that
magnificent visual, the theatrics of it all, and reflect on that one reason we
are here.
In short, this finely textured play is about blood, blood
that is drawn by the forces of intellectual warriors willing to stop at nothing
to win a bloody barney.
The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage, Dale Franzen, director,
& Carolyn Rossi Copeland, Robert Stillman and Jack Thomas present The
Barrington Stage Company Production, Judd Hirsch and Tom Cavanagh in Freud’s
Last Session by Mark St. Germain and directed by Tyler Merchant. The play is suggested by The Question of God by Dr. Armand M. Nicholi, Jr.
The setting is September 3, 1939 in Freud’s study, 20
Maresfield Gardens, Hampstead, NW London. Freud (Judd Hirsch) sits in his study
peacefully listening to a BBC announcement that Prime Minister Chamberlain will
be addressing the nation soon. The
speech will be a response to Hitler’s invasion of Poland.
His study, a masterful conception by Set Designer Brain
Prather, is a recreation of his office in Vienna, Austria. Brought about by fleeing a year and four months earlier, bribing everyone in the process, to get away from
Hitler’s henchmen.
As the play starts the sunlight pours through the garden window warming an ailing Dr. Sigmund Freud as he sits, in pain, with cancer eating away his oral cavity. Calmly, he waits hoping to find an answer to
his long life’s quest from a special visitor.
Freud sits motionless, still having the capacity to think, and
waits patiently, until he hears his dog, Jo-Fi, barking at the visitor behind
the door.
Ringing the doorbell is C. S. Lewis (Tom Cavanagh). His couthie manner, offstage when entering
Freud’s home, the tête-à-tête was en régle until he attacks the trains for his lack of punctuality.
Freud wants to speak with Lewis whom he knows has a “superior
intelligence and a talent for analytic reasoning”. Lewis, once made aware of Freud’s intentions,
is ready to accept the challenge and a mental boxing match is on.
And although Freud regards Lewis highly, Freud circles
Lewis, challenging his mental strength and sizes up his opponent. Freud’s opening
jab tests the manner in which Lewis handles the
unexpected reprimand for his tardiness.
“I must tell you that my doctor will be coming shortly, so our visit
must be brief.” – Freud
Still, Lewis thinks he is there because one of his books has
offended Freud.
“Ah. You’ve written more than
one?” – Freud
Again, another savage attack for which Lewis is not able to
beat back but only to expound on his description of a character in his book “Sigismunde”
in Pilgrim’s Regress.
“But I can’t apologize for taking issue with your worldview when it
completely contradicts my own.” – Lewis
“Which is?” – Freud
“That there is a God.” – Lewis
Oh, so that’s why we are here. The fight is much more serious than our
opponents let on. It is to debate the issue
of God.
Freud tells him that he didn’t read Pilgrim’s Regress. He had only gotten reports from his friend. Freud also tells Lewis not to be “disappointed
that your creation of a cartoonish character named Sigismunde Enlightenment didn’t leave me bedridden.”
Ouch.
Even if he is there to unconsciously debate, Lewis asks
Freud why he was invited. Freud congratulates him on his excellent essay on Paradise
Lost, the clash between God and Satan, to which Freud believes Satan is a brilliant
creation.
But Freud has more on his mind than a discussion about
Paradise Lost and slowly he enters the inner world of C.S. Lewis’ subconscious
mind. Freud waits for the right moment,
accepting that it may take him more time to come to the matter at hand.
And Freud finally does.
“Then it is true, like St. Paul, you are the victim of either a
conversion experience or a hallucinatory psychosis.” – Freud
“So why am I here?” – Lewis
“For one reason. I want to learn
why a man of your intellect, one who shared my convictions, could suddenly
abandon truth and embrace an insidious lie.” – Freud
And the battle is on.
Tom Cavanagh is
delightful as C.S. Lewis. It is an
interesting characterization of a man who must be polite to his counterpart in the
way a professor from Oxford must treat another highly regarded individual. But Lewis
has a competitive edge in that he was in the military and is a war-tested
combatant. Still Lewis is no intellectual match. He is fighting a losing battle but nevertheless
one that must be engaged with ferocity. Cavanagh
has a nice subtle passion that carries him through wonderful moments on
stage. But some subtleties must be
thrown out the window in favor of a characterization willing to do serious
battle to protect his vision in life and work. And as a character note Lewis is
a world-renowned writer but Cavanagh takes little regard of the wonderful books
on Freud’s shelves. He plays with one of
the artifacts and almost drops it and while it is amusing it doesn’t take the
character anywhere. Slipping the artifact in his pocket would give the
character more mileage. He, at times, walks a straight line with one foot in
front of the other but that does little to engage the other character. Still there are other moments - when he suffers, his pain is clearly visible
and is a very nice touch in an added scene. Also Cavanagh needs to look for something
stronger other than aspirin. And if Lewis wins any argument, Cavanagh needs to
show it. The same holds true if Lewis loses an argument. All that being said, I enjoyed his performance
immensely especially when the subject of the couch came up. It’s very funny and
places him in an undeniably grand fantastic moment in the play.
Judd Hirsch is
marvelous is Freud. It is a perfect role for Hirsch who brings a lot of humor to
the role. The wincing at the word “God” is
too marvelous for words. He is also a willing participant on this verbal
battlefield holding his own and striking only when he feels the time is
necessary. His avidity in argument takes its own sweet time. And only when he
sees the time as right. He doesn’t count his tomorrows. In fact (in real life) he will end his life
twenty days later after this encounter. He knows the answer for which he is
searching, but he wants that answer to be definitive and he wants that person
to convince him that he is wrong. Freud finds his answer when he tells him “You
know nothing.” and regards his counterparts’ expression of Christianity as
bosh. The thing that is especially compelling
is this actors handling of the prosthetic device that seals the roof of his
mouth from his nasal cavity and the unexpected cough that tears at the
heart. And yet, after this exhaustive
battle, he waives those things aside, takes his right hand and vigorously
scratches his left wrist, and thinks.
This is a wonderful performance and one not to miss.
Mark St. Germain’s
play is a wonderful verbal battle of wits and beliefs. It is like a boxing
match with actors picking themselves off the mat from time to time. There are occasions
where the actors trod to their corner to breath before they are thrust back
into the ring only to run into the deadly left hook but those moments are few
are far between. The play is an eighty minute one act. Probably as long as two passionate individuals with opposing views can stand to be in the same room together.
Tyler Marchant,
the director, does a very nice job, and I think I get his marvelous through
line. He guides the actors giving us wonderful jaw-dropping pauses and exciting
moments that lift us out of our seats. The
opening, on this particular night, hit a rough patch and it took a while for
the actors to settle in for the night. And
in regard to the through line, without giving too much of the ending away, I
will say this, blood takes us to the place, that no matter what the characters believe,
they will understand stand one thing, that they are human, and deep down people
care for each other, if only for the moment when they are together. It is a
beautiful moment and one that I will remember forever.
Tuck Milligan is
the alternate (understudy) for Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis but did not perform
this night.
Mark Mariani, Costume Design, did a very nice job, placing
the actors in 1939 time period.
Clifton Taylor was responsible for the Lighting Design.
Beth Lake was responsible for the Sound Design and there
were many marvelous sound cues. One mention
about the sound was a slight difficulty in hearing the actors, a tinny sound
coming from one of the actors as he brushed against a mic and coughs or sneezes
would obliterate the actor’s words. I’ve never experienced that problem at The Broad,
as the sound is always razor sharp.
Donald William Myers was the Production Stage Manager.
CRC Prodcuctions/Robert E. Schneider is the General
Management.
Pat McCorkel Casting, CSA was responsible for the Casting.
Run! And take a priest or your analyst, or both. And you will all have a great time.
Through February 10, 2013
