Sam Shepard appeals to a finite element of theatergoers. Perhaps his playwriting style is an acquired taste. Maybe some of us just don’t recognize the significance of his work. If you enjoy Fool For Love, then you’ll probably appreciate his entire canon. After all, he won the Pulitzer Prize in 1979 for the equally grim Buried Child, so he certainly has gained the approbation of the theater intelligentsia.
Although he’s from Illinois, Shepard’s work often has a dusty, Southwestern feel. The program for this show gives the locale as “A motel room on the edge of the Mojave Desert.” It’s dim, sparse, grungy, and depressing. The play begins only after several minutes of silence. The audience begins to titter, and finally, Eddie (Sam Rockwell) speaks. He’s the typical laconic cowboy, with a distinct edge of danger. He’s trying to comfort May (Nina Arianda), who sits disconsolately at the edge of the room’s single bed, her face obscured by a tangle of dirty blonde hair. In the corner, just outside the room, The Old Man (Gordon Joseph Weiss) seems to be detached from the proceedings, yet strangely omnipresent. Eddie and May have played out the scene before us many times. It’s a push-me-pull-you of love, hate, revulsion, and dependency. She leaves him, he finds her. She tells him to go but wants him to stay. The sexual tension is palpable, and the physical abuse by both of them is disconcerting. Eddie twirls a rope, and at one point, it encircles May. When May’s date Martin (Tom Pelphrey) shows up, he’s clueless and bewildered. It is, indeed, a strange and baffling scene. It’s no surprise to learn that Eddie and May have known each other intimately for many years, although when the full story of their relationship is revealed, the twists and turns of their bond makes a kind of convoluted sense. Nina Arianda, 2012 Tony Award winner for Venus in Fur, is an actress who never hits a wrong note. In less capable hands, May could easily become shrill, even silly. Sam Rockwell brings both depth and swagger to Eddie. Daniel Aukin does a masterful job directing what’s essentially a duo walking a tightrope. The scenic design by Dane Laffrey and costume design by Anita Yavich are both spot on.
For an evening of fine acting, you needn’t look any further than this production. But for a feel good shot of ain’t-life-grand, it’s best you mosey on down the road and look elsewhere.
