[NEohioPAL] Review of convergence-continuum's "Isaac's Eye"

[Bob Abelman via NEohioPAL]

Aether you'll love con-con's playful, ironic 'Isaac's Eye' or you won't

Bob Abelman

Cleveland Jewish News, The News Herald, The Morning Journal

Member, International Association of Theatre Critics 

You may recall that, in 2011, the inaugural production by the Cleveland Play House on the wonderfully refurbished Allen Theatre stage at PlayhouseSquare was Bertolt Brecht's "The Life of Galileo."

The play told the epic tale of renowned 16th century astronomer and inventor Galileo Galilei, who defiantly set his personal passions and scientific observations against the faith and authority of the Church.  Of course, Brecht's plays are always more than they seem.  This one served as a cautionary tale about the catastrophic consequences of scientific discovery when misappropriated and misused by non-scientists.

Contemporary playwright Lucas Hnath's "Isaac's Eye" - which premiered in 2013 at the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City and is currently in production at convergence-continuum in Tremont - looks at the life and work of Sir Isaac Newton.

But unlike "The Life of Galileo," this play is less than what it seems, concentrating on the quirky and petty personalities of Newton and his ambitious, womanizing arch nemesis, the 17th-century scientist Robert Hooke.  While Brecht focused on the dramatic conflict that defined Galileo's life, Hnath embraces all that is potentially playful, outrageous and funky regarding young Newton's claim to physics fame and his path toward immortality.



For more of this review, go to:  http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/columnists/bob_abelman/




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