A review by Erin Fair.
Elizabeth Frances and Brian Tichnell
Photos by Ed Krieger
The play, Dreamcatcher, opens with Roy running onto the reservation to meet Opal, his girlfriend of three months. From the first instant, we see there is a shared, intense, connection between the lovers. The affection quickly turns to hostility when Opal reveals what she believes are the remains of her ancestors on the land that Roy's company plans to build on. Thenceforth, the remainder of the play becomes a struggle of responsibility, cultural vs. career. Roy, who works for Genesis (a land developing firm), has his livelihood to think about, whereas Opal, a Mojave American wants to retain the last hint of her people on this land. Each side argues thoughtfully and skillfully, and it is truly difficult to pick a side.
The theory of creationism is explored beautifully through the characters of Roy (Brian Tichnell) and Opal (Elizabeth Frances). The opposing lovers conflict throughout the 80-minute play on the literal vs. abstract. Roy is very critical in his approach and states from the onset that he does not go by science fiction, but by science fact. He presents his ideas with steadfast directness and force while Opal presents her side with unwavering passion and vigor. The most fascinating part was how they were both single-mindedly presenting their sides. No one side was wrong, but they both failed in acknowledgement of the other person's point of view. These are flawed individuals, and they revealed themselves in the most humanizing way. To watch these characters bare their souls was a feast for the five senses to behold.
For this reviewer, I am on the side of the writer who crafted these multidimensional characters for the excellent actors to perform. They lifted the words off the page and well beyond the stage. Dreamcatcher was a remarkable production all the way around and everyone involved should be commended.
Dreamcatcher is playing at the Fountain Theater
Performances thru March 21, 2016
Sat 8 | Sun 3 & 7 | Mon 8
http://www.fountaintheatre.com/event/dream-catcher/
: