A sparkling performance by Gardner Reed carries the two-hander, Zelda at the Oasis,a sympathetic look at the life and psyche of the woman married to F. Scott Fitzgerald. Living in the shadows of her husband’s acclaim and in the margins of his work schedule, Zelda compensates with drink and flirtation, all the while fearing that the madness that runs in her family – and has led to her occasional institutionalization – will overtake her for good. Reed stresses Zelda’s feistiness, even as her underlying desperation becomes increasingly apparent.
Edwin Cahill plays the bartender who serves as her foil and confessor. An aspiring songwriter, the barkeep of the Oasis Club wants nothing more than to close his establishment for the night and scoot a sozzled Zelda out the door. Thus is a typical dramatic framework set up: he wants her gone, she wants to stay, they spar a bit, they bond a bit, and both grow a little from the experience.
It’s all well done if overlong and dull in spots. Still, playwright P.H. Lin handles vignette transitions quite well, with Cahill (not on the same level as his co-star but holding his own) doubling as the barkeep, F. Scott and even Zelda’s female dance teacher.
Towards the end, a potent moment – one that borders on the surreal – hints at a more fascinating internal journey the play might have taken, but even as is, Zelda at the Oasis proves an intelligent and capably structured work. Just compare it to the Marilyn Monroe bio show, Siren’s Heart, which is playing nearby, to see what the latter is missing in terms of organization and narrative arc. Most of all, the debut of Ms. Reed at this Oasis proves her talent is no mirage.
