Wit at Theatre Within

The Theatre Within in Fountain Square presents Wit for one more weekend only. This heavy drama by Margaret Edson, shares one literary professor's lonesome struggle through cancer as she navigates a careless medical system. A thoughtful play with humor throughout, director Ruth Hawkins elicits interesting performances from her cast. With a script, and a main character, that are ever aware of there own dramatic devices, Theatre Within's production finds a strong balance between the wit and the sentiment of Wit.

Susan Pieples as Vivian Bearing, the cancer ridden lover of John Donne poetry, carries the show through direct address monologues that gently walk a line between snide know-it-all and sympathetic victim. Though I didn't like the character very much, Pieples manages to evoke an emotional response from her audience due simply to her sickly circumstances. Left alone in the world through a series of self-alienating life choices, the character comes to illuminate the importance of human interaction through her lack thereof.

Making the jump from behind the scenes to onstage, Rod Issac takes on the roll of the monotone Dr. Kelekian, whose strangle-hold over his fellow Jason Posner (Thom Turner) makes for a comedic exploration of the shortfalls of the medical world. Paired with RN Susie Monahan (Eryn Bowser), the difference between nurses and doctors when it comes to actual care in the most literal sense of the term, provides interesting food for thought. Hawkins plays up the hamster wheel of a hospital cleverly through blank faced doctors moving with Tetris like precision.

Though I was disappointed by emotionally manipulative musical choices throughout, which show both a lack of faith in the actors' ability to act and the audience's ability to receive, I split hairs. The show retains a sense of cohesiveness throughout, meditating on the end stages of life without becoming too heavy handed. Overall, a wild success for Theatre Within and a worthwhile Indianapolis theatre production. Catch it for one more weekend: September 24 and 25 at 8:00 pm.

For more details visit the Theatre Within's website.