Unavoidable, unexpected twists and turns in the game of love have reached a dramatic peak. In an instant, a husband's affair can shatter lives and break a woman's heart. But what if it's not another woman that has captured his heart, but a goat?
That's right, a goat. Edward Albee's Tony-award winning drama, "The Goat" or, "Who Is Sylvia," pushes the envelope on playwrights in a shocking and quite unusual way. It takes the all too common reality of infidelity to a place beyond tears and heartache. The only thing left to do is laugh.
"The Goat" is set in the present and its essence goes far beyond a man's love for an animal, showing a dark side of family values. It exhibits the pain, heartache, confusion, and distress that people face in everyday life. It's as though the emotions are too serious to face and therefore are offset by an absurd storyline.
On the outside, Martin (Joseph Hanreddy) has a seemingly perfect life. Not only is he a prominent architect, but he has been married for 22 years to Stevie (Laura Gordon), the love of his life. Yet he's having a sexual relationship with a goat, which he also claims to love.
The play opens with a confused and nearly incoherent Martin. He jumbles his words and even his best friend Ross (Jonathan Gillard Daly) says, "You act like you don't know whether you're coming or going."
After some prying, Martin finally admits his secret affair to Ross. Ross is horrified and insists on informing Stevie. He does so in a letter, which says, "(Martin is having) an affair with a certain Sylvia, who I am mortified to tell you is a goat."
While confronting her husband about his perversion, Stevie's anger becomes unbearable and she takes it out by shattering vases and breaking furniture. Albee complicates the story even more, paralleling the network of everyday struggles by making Martin and Stevie's son, Billy (Lloyd Mulvey), a teenager struggling with his homosexuality.
The power behind Gordon's angry wife performance steals the show. You forget that she's acting. She gets completely caught up in the passion and vulnerability of the moment. Her sarcasm is hysterical. At one point she refers to Martin as cruising for livestock.
As for Martin, Hanreddy makes you literally want to get up off you seat and smack some sense into him, like "hey it's a goat, you pervert!" He brings the character's soul to the surface. The rambling and dazed looks represent his utter distress. Yet, when he tells Stevie he loves her, it's as though the trance has been lifted and his sentences and emotions are finally clear.
The scenic designer (Todd Rosenthal) turned the stage into a welcoming household. The dominant colors, blue and brown, are soothing and calming. The back wall has a montage of family photos. Ironically, the scenes that unfolded demoralize family values and create an enraged atmosphere.
Director Kent Stephens utilizes the entire stage and all the props. The characters are continually moving and have a profound use of body language. The collaboration between the lighting, sound and costume designers subtly compliments and enhances the production.
Audiences should be warned that the play contains strong language and mature, yet disturbingly hysterical, content.
Grade: AB
"The Goat" runs through May 15 at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater located at 108 E. Wells St. More information is available by calling 224-9490 or by visiting www.milwaukeerep.com.
This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on April 21 2005.