According to an old Chinese proverb, "only when one cannot sleep does one know how long the night is." That rings true for some of the characters in A Sleeping Country by Melanie Marnich. Next Act Theater's production of this quirky play is under the direction of artistic director David Cecsarini.
Julia Fracassi is thirtysomething and about to be married. The trouble is, she hasn't slept a wink in days, weeks or months. She is under the care of a psychiatrist but doesn't respond to any of the typical medications or home remedies to induce sleep. Frazzled, she announces to Midge, her psychiatrist, that she has the worst insomnia in the world. Midge wonders aloud if her patient is related to an Italian family that has a rare (and real-life) disease called FFI. Those afflicted by this genetic disorder are forced to stay awake even as their brain begins to destroy their body. This doesn't sound like funny stuff, and of course, in real-life, it isn't. But Julia's reaction to hop on the next plane to Italy to find out for herself is certainly more comic than realistic.
Arriving unannounced at the home of her possible relative, Julia pleads her case. The Countess is initially disinterested in her story. She has heard all this before. She has her own DNA on file at the local lab to prove it. Eventually, she takes an interest in Julia's dilemma. She urges Julia to "look inward" in finding the cause of her sleeplessness.
Director David Cecsarini starts the play on a high comic note. Julia is lying alone in bed. She counts and counts -- until she is drowned out by bleating sheep. The next few scenes, in Midge's psychiatric office, are among the funniest Milwaukeeans will encounter this season. As Midge, actor Tami Workentin is a riot with her deadpan delivery and snappy one-liners. She "cuts to the chase" in an attempt to rouse Julia from her dazed dilemma. Part of her profane, non-professional conduct emanates from the fact that Julia is a childhood friend.
Of all the characters, Workentin is the only one who seems to be a genuine New Yorker. She looks and acts the part, with her severe haircut and trendy professional clothes. By contrast, Julia could be from a small town in Iowa. Julia worries that her live-in fiancé, Greg, soon will bolt if she doesn't solve her situation. Even down-to-earth Greg doesn't behave or dress as a New Yorker. Not only must actor Doug Jarecki handle the role of Greg, he also must make quick switches in order to appear as all the men in the play (which includes the Countess' butler and son). He is memorable in all these parts.
Betsy Skowbo is credible as a somewhat neurotic young woman whose insomnia may or may not be due to pre-wedding jitters. As the Countess, well-known local actor Angela Iannone appears far too late in the play to satisfy her many fans. Still, she plays a countess to the core. With regal grace, she glides around her villa in an expensive silk ensemble. As one who is afflicted by FFI, the Countess has made peace with her destiny. "I do not have this disease," she says. "I possess it. I own it." She compares her existence to the natural world, which neither sleeps nor wakes. It only exists.
Seasoned playwright Melanie Marnich brings up some interesting questions in A Sleeping Country. For instance, how do you measure the cost of sleepwalking through life? And, is sleep overrated? Unfortunately, she also introduces some dead ends that don't add anything to the plot. One is the butler's admission of his undying love for the countess. Another one belongs to the brief appearance of the countess' daughter. The point: to prove that insomnia is far less tragic than the inability to stay awake (her daughter's malady). These diversions detract from the original comic premise. However, A Sleeping Country is an otherwise strong play that provides the thought-provoking theater experience for which Next Act is known.
Costumes, from Julia's rumpled attire to a man's Italian suit, increase the tale's credibility. A revolving set efficiently transports the audience from New York to Venice. The psychiatrist's office is probably the most convincing of the several rotating scenes.
