Freak Of Nature, The

It is sometimes difficult to imagine how fresh these short plays must have seemed to Luigi Pirandello's contemporaries. Surprise and even shock cap a brisk spin through dangerous mental terrain leaving audiences intrigued. Director Slava Stepnov joined three one-acters using the author's own statements about his art, delivered engagingly by Leonardo Torres Vilar. (The overall title, "Freak of Nature," comes from a line describing the title character of Chee-Chee, the evening's middle offering.) Stepnov's directorial style is clear and straightforward, and his actors seem to respond well to his approach. Even though it has become a Russian cliche to have the players lapse into balletic gestures as scene connectors, it always seems to work -- as it does here. Except for a few oddities like "mommy" for the Italian "mamma", William Murray's translation is workable. Victor Pushkin's musical choices do not bring the STEPS Theater Production Company performance any more hint of an Italian atmosphere than did Mr. Stepnov.

There are a few standouts in the cast. Although he needs to develop more depth, Eric Grant ably combines likeable and disturbing qualities as the swindler/influence peddler Chee Chee (Cece in the Italian original). In The Vise, Amanda Poliakin is tantalizing in the brief role of the maid Anna who witnesses a wife's infidelity and her husband's cool revenge. Finally, Leonardo Torres Vilar gives a suitably absurd performance as the title character in The Man with the Flower in his Mouth. (Here Pirandello becomes the most up-to date of authors by portraying a mysterious, destructive disease that will leave The Man dead in a matter of days.) Other commendable readings are turned in by Max Faugno, Joel Garland and Nansi Aluika.