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In Review: 'Vino Veritas' at the Purple Rose
Finding truth within 'Vino Veritas'
By Sean Dalton, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: February 7, 2008
There is an element of theater that no other storytelling medium can match.
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An audience viewing a live performance can either watch it or experience it, and "Vino Veritas" definitely falls into the latter category.
The moment the four characters in the current Purple Rose Theatre production drink the wine of the blue dart tree frog and are forced to be truthful with each other, the audience is put into a similar situation.
As writer David MacGregor promised, his fictional characters become all too real when they tackle real issues, from religion to sex to the sometimes self-delusional expectations that parents build around children.
It is doubtful that any two audiences will receive "Vino" in quite the same way.
MacGregor made no attempt to hide the fact that his production would elicit myriad reactions in audiences, not all of which would be positive.
That "Vino" gets so personal and often hits so close to home, that is noteworthy in and of itself.
The plot boils down to one couple meeting another couple at their residence prior to a Halloween party. They are introduced prior to consuming the "truth wine" and are thrown into the mix from there.
As the characters delve deeper into each other's true feelings, beliefs and motivations, onlookers at Thursday's performance transcended the collectivist psychological behavior typical of an audience, where a few claps and laughs cue the rest of the crowd to follow.
It wasn't uncommon to see laughter erupting from one member of the audience, while the person next to them held a hand to their face in embarrassment or shock.
"Vino" pre-empts those subconscious urgings and challenges real-world beliefs so smartly that it's a wonder anyone had the wherewithal to blink without making a conscious effort.
In that way, MacGregor's writing forces each audience member to reflect from within what is happening on stage.
As one of that collective watching "Vino," it felt like each person in the audience was sort of a background character. That's certainly how I felt.
The first act was fairly tame, beginning with a minor spat between the main couple that I personally found funny, but someone a row over was probably tugging at their collar and laughing nervously.
I found the frenetic drama of the second act to cause a personal feeling of anxiety.
I imagine others in the audience grappled with the implications of what characters were saying about religion or the perception of how 9/11 affected everyone's lives.
While we're going to leave the plot and character details as surprises, let's talk about the actors' performances, which were uniformly outstanding. Each role fit its respective actor like a tailored glove.
Suzi Regan continues to exude intelligence and strength in her performances, which is perfect for the role of Lauren — the adventurous and ambitious photographer turned frustrated housewife and mother.
She is the one who brings out the catalytic blue brew from Peru that will shove her husband and their neighborhood pal couple down the rabbit hole.
The Purple Rose's program says that Phil Powers "was born to play this role," and there can be no disagreement. It's no wonder that the character shares the actor's real name — not the only real thing he brings.
Powers is also recently married, according to the program, so one has to wonder if getting settled into that situation didn't help him bring authenticity to a role that is equal parts comedic, tragic and vulnerable.
Powers shows the greatest range of emotion as the truth peels back layer after layer of a goofball that is much deeper than he has let on for years.
Quetta Carpenter made her Purple Rose debut in "Vino" as Claire, and she is certainly welcome back anytime.
Claire and husband Ridley (Tommy Gomez) start out as the "perfect couple" that are the envy of friends and neighbors, as well as favorites at the Halloween party that the two couples plan to attend after eating some hors d'oeuvres at Phil and Lauren's house.
Carpenter's performance reaches a crescendo in the second act as Claire proves highly combustible under the circumstances into which she has been forced, since the couples sequester themselves inside the house for the duration of their involuntary truthfulness.
Gomez does a fantastic job playing the only one of the four who doesn't consume the wine. His character has to react to this unnatural occurrence and face the situation without the benefit of a plot device.
His honest moments have to be delivered convincingly, because when his character tells the truth, it is the result of bravery or necessity.
"Vino Veritas" is a potion that everyone should taste. It's entertaining and you just might walk out of the theater a more developed character yourself.
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