{"id":253899,"date":"2018-11-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/an-alluring-melancholy\/"},"modified":"2018-11-16T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-11-16T08:00:00","slug":"an-alluring-melancholy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/an-alluring-melancholy\/","title":{"rendered":"Una seductora melancol\u00eda"},"content":{"rendered":"

Por Jean Lowerison | Revisi\u00f3n de teatro<\/p>\n

You can count on playwright Sarah Ruhl to overturn convention, pick a fight with tradition and eschew the expected. We know her primarily for her plays about clean houses, cell phones and vibrators.<\/p>\n

But before all those, she examined melancholia \u2014 an emotional state most of us have been carefully taught to avoid or escape \u2014 in 2002\u2019s \u201cMelancholy Play,\u201d a quirky and delightful InnerMission production now playing through Nov. 24 at Diversionary Theatre\u2019s Black Box.<\/p>\n

\"An
\u2018Melancholy Play\u2019 runs through Nov. 24 at Diversionary\u2019s Black Box Theater. (Photo by Jim Carmody)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tilly (Hannah Logan) is melancholy. She enjoys it (\u201cI suffer so well, and so often\u201d), but she visits psychiatrist Lorenzo (Scott Striegel) for help because the bank where she works does not prize melancholy employees.<\/p>\n

Oddly enough, other people think differently. Lorenzo, aka Lorenzo the Unfeeling (with a heavy Italian accent), is only one of several characters who will find himself falling in love with Tilly. That\u2019s because in Ruhl\u2019s world, there\u2019s something appealing, even sexy about melancholy.<\/p>\n

Tilly decides to get a haircut from former physicist Frances (Cristyn Chandler), and asks if she ever feels melancholy in the afternoon while sweeping up the hair that\u2019s no longer on anyone\u2019s head. Frances also finds Tilly\u2019s melancholia sexy.<\/p>\n

\"An
(l to r) Vanessa Dinning (Joan) and Hannah Logan (Tilly)\u00a0(Photo by Jim Carmody)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cShe throws herself onto couches,\u201d she tells housemate and Joan (Vanessa Dinning), a British nurse who may be romantically connected to Frances, though this is not made clear. Joan \u2014 possibly jealous \u2014 suspiciously suggests that Frances invite Tilly for tea.<\/p>\n

When Tilly falls for Frank (Patrick Mayuyu), an accountant turned tailor who will hem a pair of pants for her, the best \u2014 and the worst \u2014 happens. I\u2019ll leave you to find out what that is.<\/p>\n

These five characters whirl around in short scenes, accompanied from time to time by Joan on rather melancholy cello (would you expect anything else?). Dinning, a fine actress, is also is a talented cellist. And, by the way, Joan will find Tilly rather fascinating as well.<\/p>\n

\"An
Scott Striegel plays Lorenzo the Unfeeling\u00a0(Photo by Jim Carmody)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then the play jumps off a cliff and veers into absurdism, when Frances suddenly turns into an almond.<\/p>\n

Yes. You read it right.<\/p>\n

\"AnI\u2019m not sure why Ms. Ruhl thought that necessary, or even desirable, given that the show was (by my lights) burbling along quite nicely. But it\u2019s possible to appreciate it for what it is, which is silly and amusing.<\/p>\n

Bravo to InnerMission for another fine production, and to Carla Nell for her tuned-in direction of this fascinating, peculiar piece. She\u2019s found the right cast (Logan is a standout as the embodiment of melancholy) and given them what they need to give us a wild and woolly ride.<\/p>\n

InnerMission and Sarah Ruhl have done it again.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jean Lowerison es miembro desde hace mucho tiempo del C\u00edrculo de Cr\u00edticos de Teatro de San Diego y puede ser contactada en infodame@cox.net<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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