Reviewed by Amalisha HuEck
Great opening! A woman comes on the stage and the first word we hear is a call for "Line"... and with shaking voice and hands anxiously waits for it for a moment. One feels for her and wonders; is she nervous and forgot the lines - for real??! Facing the audience she then introduces a one-woman show and continues struggling through her monologue. We then understand - the one-woman show is about a woman with dementia.
The relationship between Mom (Deborah Geffner) and her son (Stefan Marks) is introduced as they pack to move Mom to memory care. The kinship between them is shaky with lots of guilt. It becomes clear that they both hold grudges; their relationship painfully touches upon family issues--the need for the son's marriage, the grandkids, and his independence. The culmination happens when her son says,"I wish you hadn't killed Dad," to which she replies, "I had to put him out of my misery."
Finally, the young women appears (Tatum Langton), and we watch the drama revealed in front of our eyes with love unfolding, where two people love each other and shoot for a baby, then hate each other and destroy the baby, then again love each other. Complexity and doubts, the relationship is rocking between love and hate. And she says, "Just because my mouth is shut, it doesn't mean that I am not screaming."
If only the reset button could be hit and all the insecurities, fear, ice-cold insults, and complaints erased. At one point of weakness, the fear of death is expressed by Mom who begs her son, "In my darkest moment, when I am dropping out of the human race, please don't let me die alone."
The visiting production of Ophelia at the Odyssey Theatre by Null Set Productions is written and brilliantly directed by Stefan Marks. The story is interesting but complex. The talented and enthusiastic cast digs into the roles with passion and excitement, creating the world of Ophelia. Similar to Shakespeare's 'Ophelia' there is a lot of madness, complexity and memory loss expressed in the play..
Ophelia
is currently being performed at the Odyssey Theatre at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd in West Los Angeles. The show runs from April 12 - May 18, 2024 with the performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8:00 PM, with additional matinee performances on Saturdays at 3:00 PM (April 27, May 4, 11 & 18). It runs for 95 minutes without intermission and there are adult themes with gun-shot sound effects.
Ticket Prices are $45 for Golden Front & Center-Assigned Seating, $35 for General Section-Assigned Seating.
Tickets available at:
www.stefanmarks.com/ophelia
Box office: (310) 477-2055 Ext. 2 -
www.odysseytheatre.com
Ophelia Website:
www.stefanmarks.com/ophelia
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ophelia_odyssey/