Thursday, May 30, 1996
For graduate student and director John Lawler, the theater blurs
the lines between illusion and reality. He’s directing ‘The
Illusion,’ a play that further teases viewers’ perceptions. By
Rodney Tanaka
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Magicians often defy death with dramatic escapes and dangerous
stunts. The magician in "The Illusion," however, conjures up an
entire life because of a father’s request. Yet death hangs over
this performance as well. Or does it?
"The Illusion," at UCLA’s Little Theater through June 8, depicts
one man’s loves, losses and triumphs in 17th century France. The
closing revelation casts new light on the events and changes the
viewers’ perceptions.
"The audience gives their investment in their imagination, which
allows them to forget about that and just see it as a beautiful
scene, and the emotions that happen in it are very realistic," says
John Lawler, a graduate student in the theater department directing
this production as his MFA thesis. "That’s what theater does very
well that other mediums can’t do and we want to emphasize
that."
The play opens with Pridamant’s search for his estranged son.
The father turns to a magician for assistance, and the sorcerer
conjures up images of his son’s life.
"The moment I see my son I want to step in there and talk to
him," says Danny Kaufman, who plays Pridamant. "The magician
explains to my character that you can’t do that, you have to watch.
That’s what your position is."
Pridamant must watch passively as his son, whose name changes
from Calisto to Clindo to Theogenes, experiences many love affairs
and painful repercussions. One woman who affects his life changes
from Melibea to Isabelle to Hippolyta.
"Calisto falls in love with every woman he sees," says Tracie
Lockwood, who plays Melibea. "Part of the play is him trying to
cope with that and other people dealing with his unfaithfulness to
him."
Calisto also falls in love with impossibilities, which requires
the audience’s suspension of disbelief.
"He falls in love with the idea of going to the moon," says
Patrick Hallahan, who plays Calisto. "He actually goes to a facade
of the moon. He loves it even though we can all see clearly it’s
not real."
The play hinges on the fantasy world of the theater. The sparse
set design, utilizing a series of flats, heightens this
illusion.
"The magician and the father are done in blacks and whites
towards the front of the stage towards the audience," Lockwood
says. "They’re looking into the more brightly colored world of the
actors onstage."
The stage allows actors to create an unbelievable world. The
play’s message comments both on the theater and on the theater as a
metaphor for love, according to the director.
"The theater is made out of nothing, just a bunch of fakery and
illusion, but what happens in that illusion is very real," Lawler
says. "An audience watches that and when it’s good theater, they
get caught up and invest in it with belief and their imagination,
and the actors go about to create something very real."
"Likewise, that’s the way love works," Lawler adds. "It’s
intangible and has no substance, yet all the greatest
manifestations of man on earth have come from love, and also all
the worst things as well."
The play explores the machinations of love with humor and a dark
edge. Yet the playwright ultimately takes a positive outlook on
love, according to Lawler.
"He goes to great lengths to say that in spite of all of the
pain that love can cause you still have to open up your heart to
it, you still have to accept them all, the whole range of what an
experience of love is because that’s what moves the universe,"
Lawler says. "If you don’t experience that, you’re not living."
STAGE: "The Illusion," at UCLA’s Little Theater in Macgowan Hall
through June 8 at 8 p.m. Matinee June 2 at 2 p.m. TIX: $7 for
students, $10 for faculty/staff/seniors, $15 general admission. For
more info., call the Central Ticket Office at (310) 825-2101.