Freud's Last Session, by Mark St. Germain, directed by Tyler Marchant, takes a fine, meticulously staged look at an encounter between an 83 year old, irascible, dying Sigmund Freud and a younger C.S. Lewis. The contrapuntal arguments about the existence of God, sprinkled with real humor, give us a fascinating interchange as these brilliant minds clash.
Beautifully performed by Martin Rayner and Mark H. Dold, the play goes far beyond mere believer vs, non-believer. It's a powerful drama with human strengths, weaknesses and foibles, with its arguments interspersed with Freud's illness and radio announcements of Hitler's march into Poland. The beautiful, detailed set is by Brian Prather, with fine lighting by Clifton Taylor. This is a powerful piece of theater that appeals not only to educated people who love mental swordplay but to anyone who loves strong, gripping drama.
Opened:
January 14, 2011
Ended:
May 1, 2011
Country:
USA
State:
New York
City:
New York
Company/Producers:
Carolyn Rossi Copeland, Robert Stillman, Jack Thomas.
Theater Type:
off-Broadway
Theater:
Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater
Theater Address:
10 West 64th Street
Phone:
866-811-4111
Website:
freudslastsession.com
Running Time:
75 min
Genre:
Drama
Director:
Tyler Marchant
Review:
Cast:
Mark H. Dold, Martin Rayner
Technical:
Set: Brian Prather; Costumes: Mark Mariani; Lighting: Clifton Taylor; Sound: Beth Lake.
Critic:
Richmond Shepard
Date Reviewed:
January 2011
