through February 23, 2014
by Jennifer Curran
A believer and a non-believer walk onto a stage and find
themselves in the great debate of our time. Here we have brilliant and
revolutionary psycho-analyst Sigmund Freud, played stunningly by Kenneth Tigar,
at the end of his life and the great writer C.S. Lewis, portrayed by the always
terrific Jonathan Crombie, before his "Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe"
has found its way onto the page. Freud, famed atheist, and Lewis, former
non-believer turned Christian come together against the backdrop of Hitler and
the sounds of war raid sirens and radio announcements on the very night England
will enter World War II. Hitler has invaded Poland and the world will never be
the same.
The audience listens in to the lightning bolt intellects as
they spar on themes of life, war, sex, free will, and the existence (or
non-existence) of God. Incredibly funny, sometimes brash, occasionally
shocking, but always smart these two men, so different in every way, find their
way around the corners of big questions and from opposite sides find a
delicate, wonderful middle ground.
There is a reason this production is selling out every
night. With Maxwell Williams directing, there isn’t a moment to take a breath.
Every word and moment matters and each will replay themselves in the minds of
the audience days later.
The
set design by Evan Adamson, costumes by Thomas Legally and lighting design by
Philip Rosenberg create the world of 1940’s England as blazingly crisp. Freud’s
office feels as though it was cut out of time and placed here in 2014
specifically for the audience's benefit. This is not a show to miss; it is
quite simply a rare artistic achievement that has no room for improvement.
