Rachael VanWormer & Jesse Allen Moore
The “Sugar Syndrome” as produced by Moxie Theatre wafts through a series of difficult scenes emblematic of our addictive society and along the way renders a portrait of two terrified and hopeful addicts who cling to each other for mutual support and the ever necessary hope despite the unlikelihood of their association. Written by the promising Lucy Prebble at age twenty-two and premiered at London’s Royal Court theatre, champion of seminal idiomatic playwrights, the production attempts to grab us by the throat and not let go till its welcomed untidy ending.
A glib look at the “The Sugar Syndrome” might be termed “Mental Illness on Parade.” Conversely, the show illustrates desperate survival from mental illness in a series of scenes of tense taboo human machinations to reclaim one’s sanity.
The seventeen-year-old female Dani, who also manages a bit of O.C.D., meets Tim, a young forty-ish played the dependable Sean Cox in an Internet chat room. Their titillating key-stroked conversation leads to a public meeting. Tim anticipates meeting an eleven year-old-boy, the object of his obsession. During their tense meeting, the surprisingly articulate and emotionally intelligent Dani parlays proof of their common ground as dangerously obsessed people desiring reprieve. So begins Dani and Tim’s camaraderie in their plight for survival with the guide posts for the evening’s course of events.
Dani’s chat-room-plucked twenty-two (age of consent in the U.K is 16) going on fourteen-year-old wanna-be boyfriend Lewis and “middle-age challenged” mum in the discovery stages of betrayal and pre-divorce spasms orbit Dani. Lewis and mum add fodder for her well worn angst and unrelenting plight for understanding. Jesse Allan Moore’s fumbling virgin and knight-in-disheveled-clothes is an honest comic portrayal of rudderless naïve youth. Terri Park’s mum hovers in frustration and lands in a bit too much self-pity. Even so, Dani needs to pull her out of some narcissistic quicksand to fulfill Prebble’s ersatz heroine-in-training (or is Dani a budding codependent, too?).
The evening satisfies with some terrific performances. Rachael VanWormer leads the ensemble as the kinetic Dani, our heroine, a teen recovering from bulimia who is smart enough to score an early seat in college classes. A lead in an ensemble may sound odd but there is generous give and take in the show’s playing and even though this is Dani’s story. Ms VanWormer gives Dani the canny sensibilities and a touch of inherent brilliance frequently found in survivors from self-destruction.
Vividly transcending the puerile stroke of the play’s initial sex event in the first ten minutes of Act I (Dani gives Lewis a hand-job five minutes after meeting him) is a (can’t resist) hard task. The playwright gives the opportunity to take the transcendent odyssey but Ms Thorn and her actors hesitated. Nevertheless, her production is a taut ensemble piece. It would have been have witnessed a production go to “the edge” where it could hang out and pluck the weeds of insanity for its two hours. What we get is a production with unfortunately upset characters governed by guarded optimism. Thorn’s costume designer’s palette doesn’t help with its set design’s color coordinated efforts. Amy Chini’s technoscape set design in industrial gray with silver trends works best in its forms that evoke various naturalistic environments. The supportive sound design supplied by Rachel Le Vine does a terrific job of setting a contemporary Brit tone and the play’s pace at the top of the evening, but fades in the second act as do the actor’s British dialects of unspecified origin. Mia Bane Jacobs designed the moody lights with the parsimonious amount of lighting instruments available.
What would have been relishing is a paralyzing voyeuristic experience. Viewing the seemingly unbearable human horror and spiritual messiness that addiction demands without warning of people active in and in recovery from its substance, be it food or flesh, makes for good theatrical events. The “that which does not kill me makes me stronger” element is lightly touched upon at play’s end. Bulimia and pedophilia are symptoms of deeper events. Exploration of these origins could have added more dimensions to the play, its characters and certainly more for actors’ performances.
The fact that “The Sugar Syndrome” shows up in a west coast premiere as good as this one on our “play it safe” stages is an ideal opportunity for San Diegan’s to jump into a seat and fasten their seat belts. Moxie’s reliably high acting standards are on display and this alone is a reason to see the show.
As for the meaning of the “sugar syndrome,” you get three guesses (sugar “fixes” were popular in World War II). See you on the candy aisle.
Side note: Moxie is in the running for this year’s company in the rent-free “Theatre in Residence Program” at the La Jolla Playhouse. The company has my vote. A rent free, better equipped venue and higher profile could give this vital little company a benevolent surge for artistic and administrative growth and added surety of stability for the next couple of seasons. Let’s hope the Moxie folk need to fasten their seat belts.
“The Sugar Syndrome” through March 8th.
moxietheatre.com
Box Office: 858-598-7260
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