Love's Fire examines Shakespeare's sonnets (118, 75, 140, 153 & 154) through the eyes of four contemporary playwrights: Eric Bogosian, Tony Kushner, Marsha Norman and John Guare. The results is four distinctly different looks at this thing we call love.
Bogosian's offering of "Bitter Sauce" has about-to-be-wed Rengin (Amy Peters), in her wedding gown, sloshing down volumes of bourbon. She finally confronts her husband-to-be, Herman (Gaalan Michaelson), with a terrible truth. Peters is excellent as the besotted, duplicitous Rengin. Michaelson could not possibly be any more innocent as the deceived Herman. The triangle is complete with biker Red (John Byrom). Byrom's interpretation of the barroom tough is quite tough enough. A fitting interpretations of Sonnet 118.
Tony Kushner's Terminating, or Lass Meine Schmerzen Nicht Verloren Sein, or Ambivalence is set in Psychologist Ester's (Therese Schneck) office. Schneck plays a Gestapo-like domineering shrink. Her patient, Hendryk (Tony Beville) is being dismissed. Beville is at his best trying to win her back as his doctor and woo her to his bed. Alas, all know that he is gay and his lover, Billygoat (Gaalan Michaelson), is always in the background. But, then, Esther's lover is Dymphna (Jen Meyer), also floating just behind her. It's Kushner, it's controversial, and it is fun -- a very special twist to Sonnet 75.
Marsha Norman's 140 is an amusing interpretations of Sonnet 140, reminiscent, at least at the onset, of La Ronde. Wife (Sara Plaisted) pleads for husband David (Tony Beville) to return to him. He rejects her for Jackie (Tracy Moore) who rejects him for Roland (Gaalan Michaelson)...well you get the idea. There is a special madness in Norman's playlet, some unique moments (especially a freeze-frame that works especially well) as director Emery moves her cast in the circle. John Byrom, Therese Schneck and Amy Peters round out the cast in this homage to Sonnet 140.
John Guare's The General of Hot Desire is an ensemble piece with all eight players as students studying Sonnets 153 and 154. The opening reading of Sonnet 153 by struggling student Heather (Jen Meyer) is hilarious as she attempts to understand its meaning. Each class member has an authoritative tome -- including Cliff's Notes. This leads to great dissension. They create a play covering the history of man as their interpretation. Meyer offers a beautiful a capella background to some of the speeches. John Byrom's God is charmingly underplayed, with Sara Plaisted as Archangel Michael with an agenda. Therese Schneck's Eve is well done, as is Tracy Moore's Sheba. This is a true ensemble piece whose blocking feels more like choreography.
Nick Fouch's set is a multi-level black box, which works well for this production. Jennifer G. Brawn Gittings' costumes, Benjamin Seibert's lighting and Lindsay Byrne's sound define each play nicely.
Stone Soup's Loves Fire amuses as it challenges our interpretation of the Sonnets while offering a host of consistently fine performances.
