The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?
Theater on the Edge
By Edward Albee
Starring Alan Whitehead and Merritt Anne Green
Edgewater, FL
The best part of this production was a whole was the room full of Full Sail students who had no idea who Edward Albee was or what this play was about. And if you don’t know, read on at your own risk. In middle class America, Martin (Whitehead) reaches the back end of a mediocre political career. He’s up for an interview by his long-time buddy and pseudo publicists Ross (Mark Anthony Kelly). Martin acts distracted, and soon they abandoned the interview for a bull session on guy’s topics. Here Martin reveals he’s getting a little on the side. Ross arm punches him with the “you devil” look guys reserve for a buddy’s adultery, but the problem here is it’s not just any sort of girl that’s caught his eye. His situation may not strictly be illegal ins some states, but those aren’t states you want to live in. Ross is disgusted and writes a letter to Stevie (Greene) Martins wife, and soon the poop is all over the walls, the floor, and their rapidly vanishing marriage. Soon their pretty-sure-he’s-gay son joins in, and it’s pretty much the dissolution of an American dream. Adding to the fun is Martin’s long justification that’s makes us all feel like drinking fuming Sulphuric acid.
Theater on the Edge never lets you down easy, the process of absorbing this crisis is much longer, more painful, and more humiliating than I’ve made it sound. Martin does the heavy lifting, only leaving the stage for a scene change and I assume a quick chug of water. Hydration is his only friend as the spurned Stevie is strong and more willing to hear details I would have been most happy to gloss over. Billy seems to do must of his acting at full volume, and after tonight’s reveal, he’s got no worries about being called anything untoward for his sexual adventures. Keeping the tension up and being as brave as possible, Stevie carefully destroys the set as hubby reveals destruction of a marriage. By the time the final reveal drops, the young woman sitting next to me is covering her eyes and cowering down. And in Theater on the Edge, there very little cowering room.
If your squeamish, please, please, please read the wiki on this one. But it you’re not, strap in and buy an extras drink. It’s going to be a long 2 hours before they let you out of this hellish sweat lodge.
