Sara Maraffino and Jonathan Slavin (Photo by Darren Rafel)
Reviewed by Socks Whitmore
Whitefire Theatre
Through November 12
RECOMMENDED
A drug-fueled theatrical romp unlike any other has taken the stage at Whitefire Theatre: Freud on Cocaine by Howard Skora, the fourth of Skora’s works to be produced at the venue.
Based on The Cocaine Papers by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud (who coined the infamous term “Oedipus complex”), the two-act play provides a humorous reenactment of Freud’s extensive experimentation with cocaine, which he believed to be a cure-all for neurosis and physical affliction. When Freud’s colleague, Dr. Ernst von Fleischl-Marxow, notes an inability to kick his reliance on morphine for pain relief, the future father of psychoanalysis is driven to take his research on cocaine to a new level: personal use.
Upon his discovery of a miracle high, Freud becomes passionately invested in sharing this wonder drug with everyone in his life, from his future wife Martha to her disgruntled mother. The story follows the ups and downs of his career as a spokesperson for pharmaceutical companies manufacturing the stimulant drug, as well as the relationships he forms — and breaks — throughout his love affair with “happy powder.” The narrative superficially explores the overlap between Freud’s misaligned views on cocaine and his misogynistic takes on “female hysteria” but, in a surprising twist, barely touches on other aspects of his life and career; instead, Skora bookends the doctor’s tale with the proclamation: “All you can see are his mistakes now.”
The first act of Freud on Cocaine is delightfully deranged, sporting hilarious sequences of drugged up Freud and Ernst rampantly consuming coke, morphine, and even heroin. The pair dance, lip-synch, and generally gallivant through each scene free of consequence. The incorporation of contemporary music and linguistic quips adds an effective timelessness to the humor. This jittery joyride serves as a compelling ad for cocaine usage, but don’t be fooled — Act II quickly shifts the tone to a more somber place, skillfully unpacking topics of verbal abuse, addiction, and death.
The three leads, Freud (Jonathan Slavin), Martha (Sara Maraffino), and Ernst (Aaron LaPlante) have excellent chemistry and emotional range. Slavin takes on an impressively unhinged role with gusto, adeptly portraying the cocaine-addled, heteroflexible Freud as both hysterical (pun intended) and as a gaslighting cocainist. LaPlante masterfully traverses from comedic flatness to being absolutely wired, and Maraffino’s fiery Act II monologue is delivered with a powerful gut punch. In unfortunate contrast, the Narrator (Kim Hopkins) is almost inaudible under the accompanying music and seems to add little to the story other than opportunity for a quick change.
Though the style of humor is undeniably irreverent and audacious, this shedding of light on Freud’s struggle with substance abuse strangely offers something akin to empowerment for recovered or recovering addicts — that even when we are at our lowest lows, we can still go on to change the world.
Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks. Sat., 8 pm; thru Nov 12. https://freudoncocaine.com/ Running time: approximately two hours with a 20-minute-plus intermission.
