The Wall of Water

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

Hunger Artists Ensemble Theatre delves into its 25th anniversary season with the Denver premiere of Sherry Kramer’s play, The Wall of Water.

What I want to know is why?

Billed as a hilarious farce, The Wall of Water directed by Jacob T. Morehead loses something in the translation.

From left: Robert Kramer, Sara Hardesty, Lindsay Goranson, Andy Anderson, Kimberly Luckie, Laura Steele, Jake Hyland and John Jurcheck. Photo by: Dell Domnik

Meg (Sara Hardesty) moved into a very large apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Aside from the fact it is large, the appeal is it’s also cheap. Sharing the apartment is Judy, an allergy doctor, (Kimberly Luckie) and Denice, a party plus girl, Lindsay Goranson), and it seems Denice has happily neglected to inform Meg a rather important feature of the apartment. Not only is another roommate in the process of losing touch with their wacky world, but also she can’t be left alone. Hence the roommates have to take turns babysitting. Wendi is an essential part of the process. Her name is on the lease.

This concept has the promise of being a very funny situation. Instead of funny, the result turns bigger than life chaotic. Actually, it becomes a madhouse of overblown reactions with actors pointing to the lines to say, “Isn’t this funny?” rather than living the lines, allowing the situation to speak for itself. Perhaps the overblown physicalities are set in place to fill up the stage or to play up to the farce concept. Rather than farce, it translates to blown out of shape slapstick with each movement attempting to top the other to an out of control whirlwind of who can yell the loudest and flap their arms the wildest. There is a myth with young actors running loose out of its cage that says the louder they scream and the wilder the body contortions, the funnier it is.

“They say” the play has to do with women’s issues. It that is true, the women’s movement has been set back 50 years, minus intelligent logic.

Mistake identity by the guys: John, a nurse (John Jurcheck) mistakes Meg for Wendi, which is scary not funny. Jack, Meg’s thrown away boyfriend, gets the wrong note and falls into Wendi’s clutches. Stuart (Robert Kramer) and Judy fight unceremoniously over their research projects, and Dr. Gig Hollis (Andy Anderson) gets trapped by party girl Denice into thinking she is really Judy. As the play progresses the situation dives from the realm of ridiculous to obnoxious.

All eight actors show glimmers of talent under the over extended yelling and flailing of arms, but unfortunately it appears they have little to work with.

The lights take on a life of their own with spots appearing too slow and too late. Maybe the lights want to say, “Whoa, slow down. Take a second look at what is being done.” Whatever, the lights are frequently too slow on the uptake.

The set designed by Seah Johnson runs across the width of The Lida Project and aptly gives the impression this is indeed a very large apartment, and a very cheap one. With well defined rooms. The apartment sports a variety of mismatched ugly blues. Johnson has done an excellent job of conveying the Manhattan digs.

And where does the wall of water come in? Meg gives a dissertation on the validity of a hot shower dissipating her anger over Wendi’s confusing conflictions. Certainly, there is a wall, but I’m not at all convinced it is of water.

Not one of the characters confronts their situation in a cohesive intelligent logical manner. Of course, if they did, there wouldn’t be a play, at least it wouldn’t be a comedy, a farce maybe but not a comedy.