A gun is produced very early in “Fever Dreams”, the contemporary thriller currently serving as the first production of TheaterWorks 39th season. Jeffrey Lieber’s mystery employing Anton Chekhov’s gun theory (Google it!), is only one of many surprising twists to occur in this solid season-opener at the Hartford theatre.
Zach (Doug Savant) and Adele (Lana Young) have been carrying on a long-time affair for years in Doug’s secluded log cabin in the Pacific Northwest. Adele is married to Miller (Tim DeKay), a musician who played in a band with his best friend, Zach. Ooops! When Miller eventually shows up at the cabin – as he must in mysteries of this ilk – things start to escalate and Chekhov’s gun finally gets used. With a play like “Fever Dreams”, however, the less you know going in the better and this critic is not about to issue any spoilers. Beautifully layered with nicely timed twists and surprises, one of the many pleasures of the play is the discovery as you go.
Under Rob Ruggiero’s tense direction, the play is probably stronger in its first act than second which tends to meander. And the play often tries very hard to be cleverer than it actually is. The numerous nature references, which involve roosters, bears, salmon and, most significantly, beetles, scream “metaphors” so loudly it borders on the pretentious. Lieber, a creator of the hit ABC series “Lost”, does offer an inspired coda at play’s end, however, that is both bittersweet and unexpectedly moving. It concludes a weaker second act on a satisfactory note.
Savant is excellent here proving his years as a television fixture (“Melrose Place”, “Desperate Housewives”) has not dampened his effectiveness on stage. DeKay’s tricky performance also impresses and the sparring between the two actors is the play at its best. Young, playing a character who really is tough to support, is saddled with the majority of those long nature monologues that slow things down significantly in act two. As for chemistry, it is far more palpable between the male characters.
Luke Cantarella’s always reliable set designs at TheaterWorks have been surpassed by his cabin setting for “Fever Dreams”. The detail is thorough and evident throughout and his simple fix for the play’s final sequence is worth waiting for. Sherrice Mojgani’s lighting and the original music and sound design courtesy of Lindsay Jones add appropriate tension to the overall atmosphere. Good work all around!
“Fever Dreams” continues at TheaterWorks, Playhouse on Park, 233 Pearl Street in Hartford through November 3. For further information visit: www.twhartford.org or call the box office at: 860-527.7838.
Tom Holehan is one of the founders of the Connecticut Critics Circle, a frequent contributor to WPKN Radio’s “State of the Arts” program and the Stratford Crier and Artistic Director of Stratford’s Square One Theatre Company. He welcomes comments at: tholehan@yahoo.com. His reviews and other theatre information can be found on the Connecticut Critics Circle website: www.ctcritics.org.