What I liked
The Same Room’s premise conjures echoes of Sartre’s philosophy and Stoppard’s anti-realism. In fact, The Same Room could very well be considered Theatre of the Absurd – the two characters presented are reminiscent of Beckett’s Vladimir/Estragon or Stoppard’s Rosencrantz/Guildenstern: two halves of a whole. Their world is one of confusion and pain. They are beautifully human. But whereas Beckett and Stoppard’s musings seem primarily intellectual (this reviewer’s opinion), Pierre is interested in exploring human beings as emotional creatures.
And there lies the heart of the play. It’s a love letter to those struggling with the one person we can’t hide from: our own self.
Faced with that opponent, we witness human instinct run rampant. The characters unravel before us. They kick and scream. They plead with one another. They laugh. They cry. They fight. They flee. The staging is a beautifully choreographed dance – and director Scott Golden must be given props here.
As a performer, Kelley Pierre is heart-rending. Her openness and vulnerability as Thyma is stunning. Her anxiety and hope for acceptance became my own. I haven’t been so affected by a performance in some time – and that is what I mean by describing Pierre’s work as excruciatingly honest. An actor’s gift is to portray the glory and the horror of life, and I was given a front row seat.
Sam Sheeks’ Aspid is the perfect foil to Pierre’s sensitivity; she is brazen, tough, a protector and punisher. Her character seeks a similar respite, but is trapped by a toxic anger. When Pierre’s Thyma begins to strip that dark veil, Sheeks dives deep into the hurt behind her firewall. It’s beautiful to watch.
The Same Room is a tightly constructed examination of the human condition, and presents a meditation of two painfully familiar questions:
How do you free yourself from your own grief?
And,
How do you free yourself from your own anger?
The Same Room’s hauntingly abstract world, breakneck pace, and visceral performances present a simple and poignant answer: love.
What I didn't like
What can I say? The play spoke to me. I’ll treasure that experience.
My overall impression
The Same Room is a visceral examination of an all too common human experience: our capacity to wage war with ourselves. It’s a poetic, thrilling, and excruciatingly honest piece of theatre, and well worth the journey.
