A Body of Water
Reviewed by Taylor Kass
Actors Co-op Theatre Company
Through March 15 [NOTE: Closed early due to COVID-19]
RECOMMENDED
Lee Blessing’s A Body of Water, which premiered at the Guthrie Theatre in 2005, arrives at the Crossley Theatre at Actors Co-op with a brand-new ending.
Blessing’s psychological problem play begins with a familiar enough predicament for a middle-aged couple: waking up one morning, thinking “How did we get here?” But in this case, this couple literally has no memory of how they came to wake up together in a house surrounded on all four sides by water. They also have no idea who they are. When a mysterious woman arrives and tells them their names are Moss and Avis, they hope she holds the key to their elusive identities. But can they trust her to tell the truth?
Bruce Ladd and Treva Tegtmeier as Moss and Avis respectively have an easy chemistry even as they uneasily determine if they are friends or foes. It’s compelling to feel the subconscious, visceral force that pulls them together despite their uncertainty. As the cryptic Wren, Ivy Beech never shows all her cards. In turns vicious and loving, Wren holds the power to define the truth, and it is Beech’s fierce commitment to every contradictory story that keeps the mystery engrossing. Under Nan McNamara’s direction, the production is energetically paced, with fluid, clean movement to match the watery surroundings.
Scenic designer Rich Rose has created an aesthetically pleasing, impersonally pristine living room, impressively transforming a tiny black box into an enviable summer home. Lighting design by Andrew Schmedake complements the cool colors of the set and creates the illusion of four windows. Practically, performing this play in the round is a smart choice which makes this tiny space feel more open. But it also uses the audience to represent the ever-present body of water that surrounds Moss and Avis on a lonely island.
A Body of Water is a dark, funny and emotionally vivid metaphor for the often precarious peace that keeps marriage afloat, but it’s also about how we shape our identities. Are we the items we collect? The list of our accomplishments? The feelings we have? The way someone describes us?
As for that new ending, it’s bold in its theatricality and feels appropriately shocking in a play with so many twists. On the other hand, it also changes the rules of time and space in the world that Moss and Avis inhabit. While the original script comes to a conclusion, albeit an apprehensive one, the revised ending takes a darker, id-driven turn. Now Moss and Avis aren’t the only ones questioning reality.
Actors Co-op Crossley Theatre, 1760 N. Gower St., Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m.; through Mar. 15 [NOTE: Closed early due to COVID-19]. (323) 462-8460 ex. 300 or www.actorsco-op.org. Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission.
