The New Jersey family in Island of Brilliance lives with one foot in the world of fantasy, the other in the real world. The reason for the split can be traced back to a tragic accident that occurred when Emily (Ava Bogle) was a small child and tumbled down a flight of stairs, causing brain damage. Her mother, Martha (Nancy Linehan Charles), blamed herself for the accident that turned her child into an idiot savant. Despite having an IQ of 40, Emily also has an "island of brilliance" in the brain that allows her to appreciate birds and write poetry of such remarkable quality that television comes calling.
Problem is, it's really Emily's younger sister Evie (the remarkable Jill Renner) who has written the poetry. Evie, a sensitive, quirky girl who lives mostly in her own dream world, decided on the deception because she wanted to "do good" by her guilt-ridden mother. Opposing Evie in this regard is her would-be boyfriend, Russell (Kevin Railsback), who strongly urges her to tell the truth and avoid a scandal. The pressure on Evie continues to build, providing an otherwise low-key play with some badly-needed dramatic force and suspense.
Island of Brilliance is a psychological study of a family ultimately forced to cope with its lifetime of denial. A character-driven play, it succeeds at Pacific Resident Theater largely because of its skillful cast (which also included Bill Lithgow as an English teacher, Maryjane as a TV interviewer, and Norm Skaggs as the father). Wynn Marlow's deft direction deserves a lot of credit as well.
