Begotten at the Arena Stage

This evening I went to see a production called Begotten: O'Neill and the Harbor of Masks at the Arena Stage. I got my free comp ticket through The Studio Theatre and I ended up sitting right behind one of my co-workers from the Studio's PR Department. He decided to redeem his comp ticket this evening as well.  


Putting all coincidences aside, I've never experienced Eugene O'Neill in this way before. This production was an original workshop collaboration between Arena Stage and Georgetown University. It told the story of the story-teller. The script manifested the experimental nature of the work from which it derived and I felt that its nonconventional structure was not only artistic but transcendental in nature. Begotten is a presentation of some of Eugene O'Neill's most obscure writings which include a short play entitled Fog, his poetry, biographies, journals, letters, material from interviews, and other related sources. The director adapted these materials for the stage and stitched them together into a cohesive narrative embodying not only the work but the legacy and philosophical turmoils of the American dramatist. This production is part of the Eugene O'Neill Festival which also includes performances of Ah, Wilderness! (a play in which I myself acted back in high school understudying Essie Miller), Strange Interlude, Long Day's Journey into Night, and other lectures, workshops, discussions, and readings continuing into next month.

Although the entire show was very well done I'd say my favorite scene was the last. My professor from the Arts Core Seminar had seen this production and told me that this scene was intriguing. O'Neill wrote a monologue from the perspective of his dying dalmatian which he called Last Will and Testament of Silverdene Emblem O'Neill (An Extremely Distinguished Dog). At first I wasn't sure how this piece would fit into the rest of the play because it seemed so bizzarre and absurd. Yet the way that this piece was performed was incredibly rich, dynamic, and effective and still fit within the framework of the show overall. The actor playing Son (Eugene O'Neill) performed the dog while the actor playing Father (James O'Neill) spoke the words that the dog was communicating through his canine body and thoughts as they were originally written by the playwright. Clark Young and Rick Foucheux's depiction of this piece was stunningly well-crafted. Father, Foucheux, created the illusion of Son being his loyal dalmatian with head-scratches and affectionate pettings in exactly the same manner one expects to observe between a man and his companion dog. Clark Young's portrayal of the dalmatian was so convincing (in the complete absence of any telling props or costumes by the way) that his death at the feet of his master made me choke up quite a bit.

I'd say that this evening was another wonderful night at the theatre and hopefully next time I go to see something I will successfully convince a friend to come with me. I'm thinking The Big Meal at the Studio is up next.