The Illusion

Some see life through rose-colored glasses, and others see it with crystal clear vision. The Illusion, the final production in the Signature Theater Company’s season of works by Tony Kushner, is presented with neither a rose-colored or clear vision. Instead, it is a blurred presentation of beauty but also confusion.Directed by Michael Mayer and adapted by Kushner from L’Illusion Comique, a Romanesque comedy by 17th-century French playwright Pierre Corneille, The Illusion follows Pridamant (David Margulies), an elderly lawyer who visits the lair of the enchantress Alcandr (Lois Smith), seeking knowledge about the son he banished from his home 15 years ago. Alcandr resides in a dark cave, rendered onstage in an appropriately ominous fashion by Christine Jones with lighting by Kevin Adams while wearing equally mood-appropriate costumes by Susan Hilferty. She works with a mute assistant Amanuensis (a delightfully creepy Henry Stram) and is willing to oblige Pridamant’s request – for a price, of course.The audience witnesses numerous scenes of Pridamant’s son, played by Finn Wittrock, as a young adult. All of the visions involve a fair, royal maiden (Amanda Quaid) and her wily servant (Merritt Wever) as well as two suitors competing for the maiden’s affections, performed by the excellent Sean Dugan and Peter Bartlett. The names of each of these characters are different each time the scene changes; the reason why is a secret that is revealed in the final moments of the show. Each of the visions is appropriately theatrical and dramatic, with love and death frequently coming into play as well as the lengthy monologues and verbose dialogue that Kushner is so well known for.A final plot twist answers several questions that linger throughout the show and Smith is given the opportunity to deliver a thought-provoking monologue on truth and love. But despite The Illusion’s inherent theatricality, this production does not feel like a fully formed piece of drama, despite the capable and impressive work by this ensemble of actors. Smith clearly relishes the opportunity to play a Prospero-like magician and Margulies brings authentic sadness to the role of Pridamant. Wittrock and Quaid are charming as the ill-fated lovers and Wever is extremely impressive as the scheming and calculating servant. Bartlett definitively steals the show as a pompous windbag so filled with self-importance he can’t see anything that’s happening around him. Almost every line he delivers inspires laughter, which is a welcome break from such a dark and pensive production.The Illusion serves as a commentary, but it is not clear what it is commenting on. Is Kushner offering his opinions on true love? Or is he merely making a statement about theater today? This play is not nearly as political as some of his other works, such as Angels in America or The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Socialism and Capitalism With a Key to the Scriptures. Instead, Kushner seems to be offering his opinions on human nature and the ability of people to deceive themselves with illusions. But the question left unanswered by this work is who is deceiving whom. Is it the enchantress who played the old man for a fool? Or does Pridamant make a fool of himself? Kushner does not answer these questions, but one wishes that he did.