[NEohioPAL] Berko review: FEVER/DREAM @ CPT

[Roy Berko]

FEVER/DREAM mildly off-setting at CPT

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News Times--Olmsted-Fairview 
Times

--cool cleveland.com—

FEVER/DREAM, now on stage at Cleveland Public Theatre is an appropriate show for 
our time.  It skewers corporate America while addressing the dreams and 
realities of these uneasy economic times.  

Woolly Mammoth, one of my favorite theatres in the Washington, DC area, is to DC 
what Cleveland Public Theatre is to our area.  It willingly takes on message 
plays not normally produced and puts them on stage.  It is, therefore, 
appropriate that WM did the first production of Sheila Callaghan’s FEVER/DREAM.

Callahan, a New York based writer, is part of the Regional Alternative Theatre 
movement of the 1990s.  The writers are noted for their bizarre use of language 
and using storytelling structures in developing their works. Callaghan's writing 
has been described as "comically engaging,” “subversively penetrating,” 
"completely contemporary,” and "downright weird.” If you see FEVER/DREAM, you 
will quickly become aware of these qualities, especially the “downright weird” 
description.

FEVER/DREAMis a reinvention of Pedro Calderón de la Barca's 1635 play, LIFE IS A 
DREAM.  Calderón wrote of the human situation and the mystery of life while 
stressing the difference between free will and fate.

The contemporary script centers on Segis Basil, an employee at an American 
mega-corporation who is literally chained to his desk in the basement of a huge 
skyscraper, answering customer service questions on the telephone.  Unknown to 
Segis, he is the son of the company’s all powerful CEO.  Segis, we find out, was 
born on Black Monday, the day of a famous stock market crash, and his mother 
died in childbirth.  This, of course, leads his superstitious father to lock 
Segis away. (Remember the description of Callahan’s writing as being “weird’?)  
The father decides that he needs to step down as CEO and places his son in 
charge.  Of course, the uninformed dolt fails.  He is returned to his basement 
hell.  

Okay, that’s enough, you’ll have to see the play to experience the unreal fairy 
tale ending. 

The CPT production is creatively directed by Beth Wood, but needs more oomph.  
Unfortunately, not all of the actors are up to the stylish demands of the 
script.   On the positive side, Christian Prentice is believable in both of his 
Sergis personas:  the chained up customer service phone answerer in his basement 
hell and the floundering newly appointed CEO.  Annie Hickey is a hoot as the 
temp from heaven, who follows each of her directives as if they are words from 
on-high.  The robotic Associates, Margo Chervony, Melissa Crum, Stuart Hoffman 
and especially the rad Val Kozlenko, are total delights.  

On the other hand, as the two heir apparents to the CEO throne, Nathan Ramos 
(Aston) seems lost and Laurel Johnson (Stella) feigns a character.  The rest of 
cast is acceptable, but fail to ignite Callahan’s bizarre language.

Trad Burns lighting is excellent.  His set design generally sets the right tone, 
but the second level crawl space is a little off-putting.  Richard Ingraham’s 
sound effects work well.  

Capsule judgement:  FEVER/DREAM will not be on my list as the best productions 
of the year, but it is a thought provoking piece.  

FEVER/DREAM which is in its Midwest premiere, runs through March .  For tickets 
call 216-631-2727 or go on line to www.cptonline.org.

 
Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 
2011, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at 
http://royberko.info.  His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com 
and www.NeOHIOpal