A New Theater presentation of a play in three acts by Larry Kramer. Directed by Frank McNamara.
Cast: Kim Knuckey (Ned Weeks), Vered Kilstein (Nurse Hanniman), Tim Dwyer (Dr. Anthony Della Vida), Dmitri Psiropoulos (Alexander Weeks), Charles Zara (Richard Weeks), Brenda Gottsche (Rena Weeks), Stuart Katzen (Benjamin Weekes).
The overdue Australian bow of "The Destiny of Me," Larry Kramer's Obie Award-winning companion play to "The Normal Heart" that preemed in New York four years ago, is masterfully delivered by Sydney's New Theater.
Writing with great passion and anger, Kramer again challenges the political and medical establishments through the central character, Ned Weeks (Kim Knuckey), who recalls from his AIDS sickbed his formative years in an emotionally crippled family, which forced him into psychotherapy to save him from the supposed depravity of being gay.
Frank McNamara's production gives potency to a difficult text chronicling a long, and largely lonesome, emotional struggle that's compounded by Ned's desire to love and be loved.
The split of the central character into Alexander the boy and Ned the man is superbly handled by Dmitri Psiropoulos and Knuckey, respectively. But the production's standouts are Tom Bannerman's deft staging and Jan Primrose's lighting, which effectively separate the oppressive family home of the past and the clinically lonely hospital in the present.
The production succeeds in makingKramer's story fascinating, if at times emotionally taxing, stuff for Australian audiences, despite the quintessential -- or, some would say, cliched -- New York gay Jewish concerns (anti-Republicanism, parental neglect and the lack of access to adequate AIDS treatments). The conclusion -- that life does not always make sense -- while depressing, is delivered with convincing emotion.
A good buzz from local critics -- and a heightened interest in gay issues during Sydney's Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras as well as a federal election campaign in which health care is a major concern -- augurs well for a good run.
And with a decidedly mixed reaction to the equally well-written "Love! Valor! Compassion!" Sydney producers should note that award-winning American fare imported for the festival earns its stripes with its core gay audiences (estimated at 200,000 during the fest) only with strong, sparkling perfs in solid productions.
Sets, Tom Bannerman; costumes, Miles Modder; lighting, Jan Primrose; sound, Wayne Richmond; production manager, Rosane McNamara; musical direction, John Short; choreography, Gill Falson; stage manager, Leigh T. Rowney. Opened Feb. 17, 1996. Reviewed Feb. 25. Running time: 2 HOURS, 50 MIN.
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Date in print: Mon., Mar. 11, 1996