I just got back from seeing Lives of the Saints, the latest David Ives play to be produced by Primary Stages. The collection of seven short playlets is a bit of a mixed bag, as one might expect, but at its best, the piece is highly affecting.
The first playlet, Babel's in Arms, takes place at the building of the legendary Tower of Babel, with two slaves throwing the f-word around and an uppity business woman ordering them both about. The combination of ancient history, casual swearing, and jokes that are smart but don't necessarily lead anywhere reminded me a bit of David Mamet's Keep Your Pantheon. Though not the greatest piece of the evening, the Biblical theme and setting did tie in with some of the other playlets.
Following this came Soap Opera, a hymn to the Maytag Repairman of the commercials of yesteryear. Re-dubbed the "Maypole Repairman" the protagonist falls in love with a perfect washing machine, only to discover that what he really needs is a human being with all her imperfections. The absurdity of the piece actually helped it to resonate emotionally, which was less true of The Goodness of Your Heart, which followed it. In that playlet, two men watch their friendship unravel over the most ridiculous of issues. Though written and performed with greater realism, that story seemed less real to me than the absurd Soap Opera.
The best piece of the first act, however, was Enigma Variations. A classic piece of Ives, the play introduces two Bill's and two Bebe's, a double set of doppelgangers who look and dress alike and might even be the same person. Several times the play resets and begins again with slight variations. Though such repetitions might sound boring, in the hands of Ives they are variety itself. The audience waits on the edges of their seats to hear how the same lines will be played again and to experience the same words in completely new ways. The addition of a fifth character, who might be either a nurse or a swim coach, adds icing to the cake.
This production saves the best playlets for last, though. The second act opens with Life Signs, about a man whose mother has just died. Unexpectedly, the dead woman starts to speak, much like the title character in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar." Hilariously, the corpse reveals way too much information, embarrassing both her son and his wife. The ridiculous absurdity of her life, however, leads her to the conclusion that she has never truly lived. Her son, traumatized by the situation, tries to remind her of the good parts of her life, attempting to ease the conscience of a woman who is not just at death's door, but has already passed through it.
Ives grew up a Polish kid in Chicago, and the last two playlets reflect his background. It's All Good imagines the return of a successful New York writer to the neighborhood where he grew up. On the L train, he meets an alternate version of himself as he might have been had he stayed. This doppelganger (quite different from the ones in Enigma Variations) invites him home for dinner, where he meets his first love, the woman he might have married had he stayed behind.
The final play, which provides the title for the whole evening, also involves Polish Americans in Chicago. This time, instead of exploring lost possibilities and regret, the piece reflects on how the simple faith of ordinary people might indeed be the secret to becoming a true saint.
If you're interested in catching the play, which runs until March 27, check out the company's website:
Primary Stages
