(Photo credit: Jonathan Levin)
Aaron Greenberg, Sabra Shelly, Sangita Baruah, Ian
Cramer, Jonathan Nathaniel Dingle-El, Rachel Fink,
Crosby Lloyd, Nathan Reder, John Teresi, Cassandra
Umaña, Kevin Ray, Yevgeny Zamyatin, WE
A dissident Russian author’s 1921 dystopian futuristic
novel has been given a theatrically ravishing stage
adaptation that is dynamically performed.
“Dreaming is a serious mental disease, a death sentence,
a form of epilepsy.” So, observes the hero of the
futuristic WE; it is a theatrically ravishing adaptation of
Russian author Yevgeny Zamyatin’s (1884-1937) novel
which was written from 1920 to 1921, and published in
English in 1924. Its dystopia foreshadows the works of
Aldous Huxley, George Orwell and Ray Bradbury.
Playwright Kevin Ray’s artfully faithful treatment of
Zamyatin’s book was devised in collaboration
with WE’s cast and its production designers. Mr. Ray’s
virtuoso direction is of brisk pacing, euphoric movement
sequences, captivating performances and grand
stagecraft, resulting in an absorbing spectacle.
In the 26 th century after revolutions, the world has settled
into a pseudo-Utopian “One State” where individuality is
a thing of the past. Communal society is ruled by a
Benefactor and Guardians; everyone wears the same
uniform, people have numbers instead of names, sex is
arranged by “pink checks” for “special appointments,”
alcohol and tobacco are banned, there are constant
medical examinations, having a soul is a crime, violators
of these edicts are brutally executed. Due to the
indestructible human spirit, a resistance movement has
emerged.
With his melodious voice, lithe physicality, striking facial
features and commanding stage presence, Aaron
Greenberg has the bearing of a classical actor
as WE’s lead character, D-503. Mr. Greenberg is
simultaneously amusing, soulful and heroic, as a
foremost architect designing and constructing a high-
powered flight vehicle. The alluring and honey-voiced
Sabra Shelly is bewitching and beguiling with her
vivacious performance as D-503’s smoking and imbibing
femme fatale superior who seduces and then recruits him
into the resistance. Wide-eyed and passionate Cassandra
Umaña is entrancing as D-503’s quasi-love interest
whose poignant and illegal goal is to have a baby.
Playing a variety of archetypal science fiction-type figures is a
dynamic ensemble; Sangita Baruah, Ian Cramer,
Jonathan Nathaniel Dingle-El, Rachel Fink, Crosby Lloyd,
Nathan Reder, Sabra Shelly, and John Teresi, all create
vivid characterizations for their pronounced roles.
Lucite furnishings, crisscrossing white floor marks, a bust
of Pushkin, a vintage world globe, and wheeled wall
panels, are among the disparate choice elements of Yang
Yu’s ingenious and aesthetic scenic and props
design. Metropolis-style whirring gears, stunning
cityscapes, sprawling vistas and ominous imagery, are
the hallmarks of Matthew Deinhart’s mesmerizing
projection design. Sex and violence are suggestively
rendered by Deb Hertzberg’s haunting shadow puppet
direction and design. Lighting designer Brian Aldous
strategically veers from grainy dimness to textured
brightness, achieving a queasy shape of things to come
dimension.
Composer Ian McNally’s eerie original music,
along with ambient tones and requisite effects are
beautifully realized by Robert A. K. Gonyo’s vigorous
sound design. Costume designer Alyssa Korol’s lustrous
blue shirts and gray slacks are ideal. Production Stage
Manager Henry Menestrier masterfully oversaw the
performance under review.
A former Bolshevik, Yevgeny Zamyatin became one of the
first Soviet dissidents for satirizing national conformity
in WE and other works; he eventually went into exile,
dying poverty-stricken in Paris. This remarkable stage
incarnation of WE, affirms its lasting power, influence,
and sadly its timelessness, especially in light of the
current world scene.
WE (through October 20, 2024)
KEVIN RAY | WORKS
The Mark O'Donnell Theater, 160 Schermerhorn Street, in
Brooklyn
For tickets, visit www.kevinrayworks.com
Running time: two hours and 30 minutes including one
intermission
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