'Fool for Love' Flirts with Taboos

Author: Chrystalyn Radcliffe

Cowboy boots, country music, lassoes, shotguns and an incestuous relationship between two half-siblings - sounds like a recipe for good, old, stereotypical "Southern" fun.
While definitely ripe with humorous moments, the performance of Sam Shepard's "Fool for Love" was anything but one-dimensional.
Playing on the stereotypes of Southern life, the cast depicted powerfully dynamic relationships, revealing the hidden pain and confusion behind what appears at first glance to be a simply comedic story line.
Directed by Patricia Erdmann '03 as her 700 theater project, the show opened last weekend in the Hepburn Zoo. As the house filled, the Old Man (Freeman White '03) was already on stage in his rocking chair.
His presence was a reminder of the malleable boundaries between on-stage and off-stage, between actors and audience. With a blanket thrown over his legs, he rocked quietly, chewing and occasionally laughing to himself.
He remained in this physically marginal location for the entirety of the play with the exception of several moments at the very end when he stumbled on stage to intervene or assert his influence over the two main characters.
His interjections of laughter were disturbing when they occurred during inappropriate moments. The consistent commentary of the Old Man was effective in bringing awareness to the role of the audience as judges and voyeurs in theater.
The relationship between Eddie, (Andrew Zox '05) and May, (Eliza Hulme '05) was volatile to say the least.
The two alternated between moments of total composure and hysterical displays of emotion without spending much time in between the two extremes.
The constant mood swings of May especially felt somewhat contrived and overly-dramatic as she repeatedly hurled herself onto the bed or floor in fits of hysterical sobbing. Andrew's character appeared more fluid in his display of emotions, but was somewhat of a confusing character.
His explosive gestures, rapid spurts of speech and tendency to fly across the stage added a sense of mental impairment to Eddie who was unpredictable and often bordered on violence.
His movements and tone of voice gave the impression of being drunk even before he had begun draining a bottle of tequila. These choices, while entertaining, sometimes felt awkward and out of place with the mood of the scene.
If the interactions between May and Eddie seemed at times over-done, the relationship between Eddie and Martin (Kevin Buckland '05) was highly enjoyable to watch. Martin, a painfully average guy, provided an interesting contrast to Eddie's high-strung quirkiness.
This juxtaposition of personalities along with the inherent sense of competition over May made for a naturally humorous on-stage relationship between the two men.
When May entered the scene later on, the relationships took on a whole new dimension - one that was fresh and fraught with all the real tensions which such a complicated situation would incite.
Costumes and set design were wonderfully engaging. The contrast between May's bright red dress and Eddie's old, dirty T-shirt and worn jeans was a great visual expression of their desires and motivations as characters - May trying to move on and Eddie holding on to the past.
The location of the play (a room in a cheap motel just south of the border in Mexico) was expressive of the temporal and transitional nature of the relationships which occurred within that space.
The quality and location of the motel was captured by the stained yellow walls and piecemeal flooring. Light design, including headlights shining through May's window, was also helpful in conveying the atmosphere of the place. They were most effective, however, by being unnoticeable. The frequent flipping of the light switch by May and Eddie was so smooth as to not draw attention to itself at all.
All in all, the play marked an evocative performance, exploring the connections between comedy and tragedy, free will and fate, love and logic.