Dowling Studio, Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, MN
October 30, 2013
From the Guthrie Theater's website:
"Mark is a lonely writer still hurting from his partner's death some years before. Then he meets Todd, an enigmatic young male escort whose charm and resilience attract and impress Mark, but whose past remains murky. Soon the two find themselves in an unlikely relationship that neither really understands -- and that will either heal them both or tear them to shreds."
This play was first performed as part of the 2010 Minnesota Fringe Festival, directed by Michelle O'Neill (who plays Edith in this production). In its original form it included only the roles of Mark and Todd and would have been limited to 60 minutes to conform to the Fringe guidelines (and it received a solid rating of 4.5 kitties there with most reviewers giving 5). I think if I would have seen the play in its original form I would have liked it more, though the expanded version (about 90 minutes) creates elements that benefit the play.
The short scenes in the beginning of the play make it feel disjointed and jumpy, an objection that would probably have been moot at the Fringe Festival where the time-lag between scenes would have been minimal. The relationship between Mark and Todd is unlikely at best, but I found it closer to incomprehensible. This version's addition of Edith and Thomas as characters outside the relationship looking in makes the characters examine their relationship from those eyes; the audience is led further into the role of outsider examining the relationship through the architectural motifs within the script and expanded in the set design. In the play, Mark says "loving someone completely is a death-defying act. That it's fraught with such danger that if you stopped to think about it, you'd go running in the other direction. But it's also a kind of miracle ... inexplicable. It's an unguent that can heal old wounds." That's probably true, yet the relationship between the hustler and the Ivy League-educated author is unlikely to be met with approbation by anyone in either of their circles. Examining an unlikely connection leading to healing is a topic that many audience members can relate to, even with the unexpected pairing of grief for a lost love and prostitution in the background.
The ending of the play ties up all loose ends with an artificially-heartwarming bow. The title metaphor, "Skiing on Broken Glass", is finally spoken by Mark and was so awkwardly inserted into otherwise non-metaphorical dialogue as to pull me out of what should have been a climactic moment. Mark tells Todd he's skiing on broken glass and that maybe next time someone like Mark won't be around to pick Todd up when he falls and is shred to ribbons. Todd, who had been passed between foster families and was first paid for sex at age fourteen, continually returns to prostitution for his livelihood even when he is in a long-term relationship with Mark and though he seemingly has many other options as a person. This character and relationship presents many ideas that should have left us feeling conflicted if not convicted. Instead, the audience leaves the play knowing that Todd learns from the relationship with Mark, pulls himself out of his life of prostitution, and turns into an apparently happy and productive member of society. They both heal and move on in their lives successfully. The societal ills presented were conveniently solved by the end of the play. As an avid and thoughtful theatre-goer, that's not what I'm usually looking for.
All of that said, Michael Booth's performance as Mark is worth the price of admission (and Bill McCallum's stuffy British accent is hilarious). "Skiing on Broken Glass" is playing in the Dowling Studio until November 17.
I enjoy getting opinions on my work. I wanted to briefly respond. There are many "incomprehensible" relationships. For example, writer John Rechy, was a street hustler in NYC, Chicago and LA for decades. Even after becoming rich and famous. He hustled even after he began a relationship with a 21 year old. They've been together more than 30 years. His friends weren't happy. The same with the much older and non-monogamous Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy (18)Calvin Klein's recent relation with a 21 year old porn, Nick Gruber, star set tongues wagging in a libertine industry. As does Marc Jacob's, (50) relationship with a porn star (24). Edward Albee (86) more than 60 years older than his partner. Maya Angelou was a prostitute and turned out rather well. There are many non-famous examples of men who marry working prostitutes. Grief is complicated. As a young child Victor Lopez, was slashed by his psychotic mother and went through 40 foster and 3 group homes before becoming homeless and on-the-street. His family wanted nothing to do with him. His Uncle refused to help him and told him that killing yourself is sometimes easier than living and that if he wanted a place to stay, as a faggot, he should sell his ass on the street. Victor was adopted as an older child. Shortly thereafter his adoptive parents were killed in an accident. Eventually, with help, he found refuge. Victor went to college and started law school this year, has a family and a relationship. He won awards for his writing as a senior writer for his college, Huffington Post etc. A very happy ending for someone one would never expect would be able to survive. Grief is complicated and can be paralyzing. As Armistad Maupin wrote, when two people are good for each other, even if it is for a short while, sometimes that is enough. In this play, enough to start two damaged people on the road to healing. There are going to be several post-play discussions with experts in the fields of grief, foster kids etc. I invite you to them. Fault my writing, my structure, but not my research.
ReplyDeleteWow, thank you for your thorough and well-considered opinion, David. I also appreciate getting responses to my writing and opinions--generally I think I'm the only person who reads my blog.
DeleteI do not doubt your research or background knowledge, and I know the different ways grief and healing can manifest. I'm sorry if it sounded as though that was my quibble with the play. As my distance from the performance increases, my reasons for doubting the relationship have clarified for me. In the initial scenes as the relationship between Mark and Todd developed, I continually expected Mark to wake up and find Todd gone and his house burgled. There was no point where I believed in Todd's investment in Mark or in the relationship. This may be a flaw in the performance and not in your play; I didn't believe the actor's portrayal and that may come from him and not the script. Additionally, finding the opening scenes too choppy may be a flaw in the performance. As a director myself, I know better than to judge a production based on a preview performance. But this is when I had a chance to go, so it's all I have to respond to.
Again, I thank you for commenting--you're the first playwright to respond to me. It adds an air of legitimacy to my little thoughts.