The Illusion has been "freely adapted" from Pierre Corneille's 17th Century L'Illusion Comique. If his name sounds familiar but the play does not, he is also penned El Cid. The play begins with an older man coming to a see an illusionist to find out what has happened to the son he kicked out 15 years prior. The illusionist is able to concur up visions to show the father what appears to be his son trying to gain the love of a wealthy heir while truly loving her chamber maid. The running thread through the visions and the play is the age old question of what is love?
The play offers many unpredictable twists and turns and the actors drive us safely around the curves. Credit to Goldstein once again for making a classic palatable for the masses without watering down the beautiful poetry of words. Jeff Thomson's scene design is, of course, exquisite. The red, drape circle does more than solve the challenge of how to portray the visions on stage; it enhances it. The lighting by Rick Paulsen is flawless and David Kay Mickelsen's costumes are appropriately dreary and lavish as need be.
How ATC rounded up this stellar alumni cast is astounding but all the Greats are here. James Lawless, who plays the father Pridamant of Avignon, is wonderfully comic and plays a similar character to last year's Burgess in Candida. The illusionist, Alcandre, is brilliantly portrayed by Ken Ruta. Alcandre has the most opportunity to shine, showing his majestic and doubtful side. Francis Jue, the unofficial ATC mascot, returns in a small but memorable roll as The Amanuensis, sort of a mute narrator. I saw him first in ATC's M. Butterfly, and again in A Midsummer's Night Dream. He does get an opportunity to show off in a powerful moment when he transforms into the young lady's King father.
The show revolves around three key players. David Ellenstein plays the son, Terri McMahon the rich heir, and Suzanne Bouchard in a breakout performance is the chambermaid. There are a few other suitors; Raymond Chapman who also returns from Candida, and Robert Nadir as a comic fool. From this pool of greatness, Bouchard shines through. She is blessed with one of the best characters, able to feel a broad range of emotion. Ellenstein, while given the chance to vacillate between dutiful servant, fool in love, kind soul and vengeful demon, the transformations are not seamless. Rather, he appears to switch like a multiple personality, suddenly nice, suddenly violent. This may have more to do with Goldstein's direction, but I would have liked to see more from this rich character, as we were given few.
While I enjoyed this play very much, the production values were outstanding, the actors wonderful, I left feeling not quite full. After all, seeing a play that has been adapted by the playwright of Angels in America, one expects a bit more depth. While it takes a lot to get a production to the level of perfection, I was yearning for one more notch. There were few moments of intense drama (usually offered by Bouchard), and so many opportunities untouched. The show was running long (2 hours and 20 minutes), but giving the moments that deserved it a few more seconds to be played out would have raised Illusions to an outstanding play, just a step beyond its well deserved status of great.
The only other nik-picky thing I can think of is the sound. There were times the actors were facing upstage or with their backs to one side of the stage or the other and were difficult to hear. I don't know if they were using a stage microphone to help pick up sound, but it did not seem like it. I was sitting about five to six rows back so it may have been more noticeable in the back of the audience.
This is a great play to bring Theatre novices or those who think they hate the classics. Long time theatre patrons will enjoy this fresh, new offering. Family members of all ages can enjoy its fast paced comedy and light tragedy. Everyone, no matter what age, should question "what is love?". One is never too young or too old for that.
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