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| Lisa (Kathryn Smith-McGlynn) listens to Guy (Tony Hale). |
The protagonist in Will Eno’s “Wakey, Wakey” is Guy
(Tony Hale), a man in a wheelchair ruminating on what’s important in life.
In this American Conservatory Theater production
directed by Anne Kauffman, it gradually becomes apparent that Guy probably
doesn’t have long to live and that he’s in what might be a hospice (the set by
costume designer Kimie Nishikawa with lighting by Russell H. Champa).
The play is essentially a stream-of-consciousness
monologue lasting an hour or so until Lisa (Kathryn Smith-McGlynn) arrives. A
caregiver, she mostly listens as he continues to weaken.
That’s about it. There’s no plot per se.
Although it can become tiresome, one of Guy’s points
resonated. He told audience members to recall a person in their lives who made
a difference, who set off a chain of events that led to where they are today.
Various projections such as animals or a child
delighting in an ice cream cone add some visual interest. They’re by sound
designer Leah Gelpe.
This 75-minute play is preceded by Eno’s “The
Substitution,” a 15-minute play featuring four students from ACT’s MFA program
and Smith-McGlynn as a community college substitute teacher, Ms. Forester.
Ms. Forester starts by teaching one subject until
the students tell her that this is a drivers ed class.
Because it’s in a boxy classroom (curtained off for
“Wakey, Wakey”), the sound doesn’t travel well, making the lines hard to hear.
The total production lasts about 90 minutes with no
intermission.
“Wakey, Wakey” will continue through Feb. 16 at ACT’s
Geary Theater, 415 Geary St., San Francisco.
For tickets and information, call (415) 749-2228 or
visit www.act-sf.org.
Photos
by Kevin Berne
