Photos by Ryan C. Lloyd | RYLO Media Design
Tragedy and farce have been keen elements of storytelling since . . . well, probably since humans took to telling each other all about the absurdities of living—and dying.
Combining the two into a story about one man nearer the end of his life than the beginning could be enlightening, possibly distressing, but definitely thought-provoking. One such story is played out in The Father, a French play by Florian Zeller first produced in Paris in 2012.
Billed as a “tragic farce,” The Father is presented in Christopher Hampton’s English translation by SLO REP as its opening production of its 80th anniversary season.
Running now through September 13, the show is potentially a hard sell to audiences who want to visit the theatre for laughs or simply as a cheerful distraction from real life. While guffaws are scarce here, the tomfoolery usually associated with farce does, in the end, play just as much a part in these proceedings as adversity and loss.
Many times during the show’s 90-minutes-with-no-intermission run I thought back to vintage works from the last mid-century—to the theatre of the absurd where confusion and meaninglessness are the order of the day. Thanks to an excellent design team the setting, costumes, lights and sound (lovely, jarring bits of Pink Floyd) fittingly reflect the jarring story that plays out—absurdly—in front of us.
Director Erik Stein and Tom Ammon (playing André, the title role) have constructed a character of such force, spirit and depth that supporting characters played by Rachel Tietz, Audrey Cirzan, Mike Fiore, Ava Lovelace and Will Kinnon seem simply to revolve around his unfolding arc, as unable to understand what’s happening in the moment as we are.
Ammon, exquisitely aged, plays the father with heart and soul, such that when his family members (along with us) are faced with improbable and ridiculous elements (the usual components of farce) we are instead confused—just as André is confused. Which, when all is said and done, is the point. A well-crafted, well-directed, well-acted point.
Playing cunning or charming, pig-headed or belligerent, Ammon proves he can turn his energy on a dime from aggressive to cowed to bewildered. He more than lives up to his leading role, bringing a commitment and underlying steadiness that connects with us on many levels. His fellow actors follow his lead and give us much to empathize with.
If you haven’t done so already, “The Father” is an excellent reason to buy season tickets to help keep quality theatre alive in SLO County.”
Scenic designer Dave Linfield has once again worked his magic to give us a set that works surprisingly well on SLO REP’s small thrust stage. He and Suzy Newman, working with stage manager Carly Crowe, have designed set dressings and numerous scene changes that prove intriguing.
Costumes by Barbara Harvey Abbott, from one character’s bright free-spirit vibe to another’s Paris chic to André’s comfortable pajamas, add their own sly touches to our understanding of André’s world, as does the sound and lighting design by Kevin Harris.
SLO REP’s production of The Father is worth seeing for many reasons: the honest writing, the earnest work of its cast in unveiling the tragedy of one person’s end-of-life story, the admirable technical effects of its production crew.
It also deserves to be seen for showing us what live theatre can bring to our understanding of the human condition. SLO REP deserves a supportive audience for productions like this that, without glitz and glamor, still hold us in its thrall long after the curtain call. If you haven’t done so already, The Father is an excellent reason to buy season tickets to help keep quality theatre alive in SLO County.