The Effect
Reviewed by Martίn Hernández
Sixty-Six Productions at The Marilyn Monroe Theatre
Through May 21
RECOMMENDED
Welcome to The Institute of Neural Science, where Connie (Jackie Jandrell) and Tristan (Paul Rush) have volunteered for a month-long clinical trial to evaluate a new anti-depressant medication, though neither has depression, a curious requirement for the testing. The two have little in common; nonetheless, tattooed bad boy Tristan’s flirtations soon wear down the wary Connie, despite the Institute’s “no relationship” rule between subjects. But is their newfound affection organic or chemical — a result of a human’s need for connection or from that little pill?
Playwright Lucy Prebble skillfully balances an indictment of Big Pharma with a tale of fraught romance, depicted with precision by director Kymberly Harris and her cast. The ethical debates between psychiatrists Lorna (Leah Verrill), tasked to conduct the trial, and Toby (John Ruby), who has developed the drug, are compelling and timely, considering the clashes over the efficacy and development of Covid 19 vaccines. The battle of wills between Toby and Lorna brings compelling arguments to their respective opinions, with Toby championing the benefits of psychotropic meds and Lorna’s feeling that they are merely corporate snake oil.
While Toby comes off as a smarmy opportunist — a funny bit has him delivering a pompous lecture with a mystery prop in the bucket he totes — his commitment to relieving pain seems genuine. At the same time, Lorna’s prickly professional demeanor with Toby masks a compassion that plays out in her attention to her charges as they develop unexpected outcomes from their doses. Meanwhile, the skeletons in all their closets rattle like chains on raging dogs.
Power dynamics also play out in Harris’s innovative staging and designer Elizabeth Smith’s set. Lorna sits backstage center at an elevated desk while her subjects’ quarters are parked on either side of the stage. Behind the duo’s beds, scenic designer Elizabeth Smith places video screens displaying medical charts and heartbeat results — as well as satiric ads for the Institute. Stringed lighting imbedded in the floor illuminate like multicolored veins coursing through the characters when emotions are high.
And they do get high, especially in Connie’s and Tristan’s extreme love story. In moments of tenderness and tension, the two have a synergy to which many a loving couple can relate — Jandrell and Rush are consummate performers, as are Verrill and Ruby. While some dialogue is lost, either from quick line deliveries or the distance of some characters to the audience, what is heard — and probably unheard — is crisp, witty and introspective. While the poignant denouement seems hopeful, it belies the dream that love conquers all, especially when depression is involved.
The Marilyn Monroe Theatre, 7936 Santa Monica Blvd., W. Hollywood; Fri-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m.; thru May 21. www.sixtysixproductions.org/tickets
