Laurel Casillo in Elevada.
All photos by Carol Rosegg
If you glance through the program
for “Elevada,” a new play by Sheila Callaghan that is enjoying its premiere at
the Yale Repertory Theatre, you might think you are in for an excursion into 21st-century
urban techno-realism, or perhaps a ponderous, solipsistic, pseudo-agonizing
reflection on the world of electronic alienation and self-absorbed slaves to
the Internet. Then again, you might be worried that the evening will turn out
to be an exercise in mixed-metaphor, sophomoric prose, for the program suggests
that “Elevada makes the case for
leaping, while refusing to assert that the world promises a landing spot any
more comfortable outside the frying pan.” Fortunately, the program’s puffery
and rush-gush, self-important prose in no way captures what is, regardless of
the production’s “Oh-so-now” trappings, an old-fashioned boy-meets-girl love
story, and a delightful and, at moments, quite touching one at that.
Greg Keller and Alfredo Narciso
We start with a blind date between
Khalil (Alfredo Narcisco) and Ramona (Laurel Casillo), set up on-line (of
course) by Khalil’s roommate, Owen (Greg Keller), a rehab veteran who’s sworn
off drugs but clings to alcohol. Khalil’s current occupation (for which he is
not paid) is to observe activity on various social web sites – the ebb and flow
of “communication” -- so he can advise corporations about community-building.
In person, Khalil is, as would be expected, socially inept. Thus, he is almost
overwhelmed by the effervescent Ramona, a young lady who cannot help but send
out sparks of delight at the simple possibility of ordering pheasant for
dinner. Yet Ramona is also flawed – she is being treated for cancer, a dark
angel that hovers beneath her bubbly consciousness and suggests that her worth
can only be found in her illness. She is also being mothered by her sister,
June (Keira Naughton), a shark-in-the-water real estate agent who’s not above
“stalking” to secure relational happiness.
Yes, there’s a techno-coating to
all of this, with cell phones beeping and the ubiquitous lap-tops, and a rather
unbelievable business ploy by Kahlill to sell “himself” – that is, his very
being (Mephistophelean overtones here) – to the highest corporate bidder (what
a corporation might want to do with his persona is never made clear), but all
of this is, in the long run, beside the point, for Callaghan, for all of her
efforts to make her play au courant,
is essentially a romantic at heart, and shriven of the techno-overlay, this is
a play about four lonely, semi-dysfunctional people who may just find a modicum
of happiness if they simply, though ineptly, reach out to each other and
embrace.
Keira Naughton and Greg Keller
As effectively and, at moments,
tenderly directed by Jackson Gay, with efficient, minimalistic scenic designs
by Kurtis Boetcher and stunning lighting and projection designs by Tyler
Micoleau and Shawn Boyle, “Elevada” overcomes whatever “message” Callaghan had
in mind to simply please on a very basic level, and this is primarily due to
the wonderful cast, led by the vivacious, engaging Casillo, who gives us a
young woman who is both gamine and femme fatale, with a bit of waif thrown in
for good measure. She is, quite simply, a joy to watch, whether she is doing a
sensuous pole dance, climbing a garden fence, eagerly anticipating that
pheasant dinner or simply standing to learn her medical fate. Her performance
is quite easily worth the price of a ticket.
Not to be outdone, Naughton gives
the audience a superbly up-tight yet needful lady who is all surface-ceramic (a
nice bit of costuming by Steven M. Rotramel has Naughton always in heels while
Casillo mostly wears flats or is barefoot). Naughton’s character is a brittle
beauty teetering on the edge of breaking into pieces that may not be able to be
put back together again. Her urban sophistication meets its match when she is
confronted by Khalil’s roommate, Owen, a wobbly wordsmith who is well aware of
his own failings yet can see truth when it stands before him, even though he
may be seeing said truth through eyes slightly blurred, compliments of
Stolichnaya.
Laurel Casillo and Alfredo Narciso
As the computer geek, Narciso must
bring to life what is basically a wallpaper character. It’s a difficult job,
given his character’s main quality is a desire to be non-existent. While the
play’s three other main characters bristle with quirks, Khalil is self-effacing.
Narciso manages to give his character a growing presence as, ironically,
“Khalil” rushes towards non-existence, subsumed and consumed by the electronic
media. Unfortunately, Khalil’s quest for obliteration is the play’s major flaw,
for the message here is diffuse and thus unclear. Does the electronic media
obliterate our real personalities or merely allow us to take on multiple, faux
personalities? Are we all destined to become nothing more than an accumulation
of bytes, an assemblage of ones and naughts that float in the electronic ether?
The questions posed by the play are vague and the answers ambiguous.
Fortunately, the techno-terror
frame really doesn’t impede enjoyment of the time-tested formula of boy meets
girl, boy loses girl, boy finds girl again as they come together to dance
through life. The inherent irony in this play is that though it attempts to
deal with the digital effacement of personality, the vibrant personalities on
stage put the lie to the premise. The performances that Casillo, Narciso,
Naughton and Keller deliver could never be digitized, and thank God for that.
“Elevada” runs through May 16. For
tickets or more information call 203-432-1234 or go to www.yalerep.org
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