A dark and mysterious forest scene, accompanied by gentle guitar music, awaited us as we entered “The Downstairs” at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club for the second night of the premiere run of Kirk Lynn’s new play The First Line of Dante’s Inferno. It was a full house, with a palpable buzz as the audience settled in and waited for the show to begin.
The music faded and the opening line was delivered over the PA, before the dialogue continued live as Ann Espinoza, played wonderfully by Kellie Overbey, emerged from behind the audience and walked into the forest scene on stage. This marked the beginning of an intriguing narrative approach in which the characters self-narrate their individual perspectives on the events unfolding before us.
Having read the script prior to seeing the play, I was excited to see how the unconventionally non-prescriptive guidance from Kirk Lynn would be interpreted by director Christian Parker. Lynn suggests that at least some of the narration could be performed by an additional, potentially off-stage voice. In this production, however, the choice was made for the characters to initially refer to themselves in the third person before gradually shifting into more conventional dialog between the actors on stage. This results in an interesting and distinctly modern presentation of the work.
Each section begins with “As I remember…”, followed by the character’s version of events. In the first instance, Ann describes what she remembers of an old, makeshift cabin in the woods where she believes her missing sister has been living. She recalls sleeping there overnight before being woken by a noise she initially assumes is her sister, but which turns out to be a young park ranger named Craig. Craig is described as boyish in appearance, a quality accentuated by his slightly too small uniform. Evan Sibley takes on the role with great enthusiasm, skillfully conveying the persona of an oversized Boy Scout while blending comedy and awkward charm.
Craig and Ann soon enter into a strange pseudo-relationship. The two begin meeting regularly and appear to enjoy each other’s company while Ann continues her search for her missing sister, Carol. Their routine is interrupted by the arrival of the larger-than-life Bill, an older park ranger played expertly, with cartoonish comedic flair, by Greg Stuhr.
The initial interactions between Bill and Craig are hilarious. Bill, having lost his glasses somewhere in the woods, fails to realize that he is pointing a gun at his colleague. This unfolds into a farcical and fast-paced scene where, amid the confusion and scuffling, we learn more about the relationship between the two men and the often lonely, isolated nature of their work as park rangers.
As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Ann’s sister Carol has left her former life behind and may not be looking to be found any time soon. The interactions between the characters highlight how people can be complex, difficult, and at times almost feral when left to their own devices. There is a particularly intriguing scene in which Ann uses a can of peaches in a most unusual way. I will say no more here so as not to spoil the surprise.
The simple yet effective staging by Lauren Helpern uses wooden boards cut out to resemble trees. Combined with an excellent lighting design by Zach Blane, this brings depth, movement, and atmosphere to an otherwise rigid setting. The sound design by Bart Fasbender adds further layers to the production, helping to immerse the audience in the isolated and slightly unnerving environment of the expansive forest.
Actors enter and exit frequently, often leaving just two characters on stage at a time to play out scenes that function as dramatic or comedic double acts. This allows the audience to build rapport with the characters and gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies of each persona.
Overall, this is an entertaining and contemporary play, brought to life by three highly skilled and experienced actors who deliver on the advertised promise of a surprising, funny, and feral journey into nature.
The First Line of Dante’s Inferno is running at La MaMa ETC from the 5th to the 22nd of February.
More information and tickets can be found at: https://www.lamama.org
We are giving this 4 / 5 Ds (D D D D)
