By Judy Richter
Confident, well groomed and well spoken, an eminent research scientist is in the Virgin Islands lecturing a group doctors about a product she developed that could be a breakthrough in the treatment of dementia. Although the word “Alzheimer’s” is never used, it’s clearly a focus in “The Other Place,” the Sharr White drama receiving its West Coast premiere at San Francisco’s Magic Theatre.
The speaker is 52-year-old Juliana Smithton (Henny Russell), who finds herself more and more distracted by a young woman in a yellow bikini in the back row. From there the mystery heightens and the action shifts among several settings and time periods as well as between reality and Juliana’s imagination — or perhaps hallucinations. What she tells a neurobiologist, Dr. Cindy Teller (Carrie Paff, who’s listed as The Woman in the program), differs from what is said by her husband, Ian Smithton (Donald Sage Mackay), an oncologist.
Perhaps the problems started 10 years ago when Laurel (Paff), the 15-year-old daughter of Juliana and Ian, disappeared one night and never was seen again. She may or may not have run off with or been abducted by Richard Sillner (Patrick Russell, listed as The Man in the program), Juliana’s post-doc assistant at the time.
“The Other Place” may have two meanings. One is literal — the Smithtons’ cottage on Cape Cod. The other is figurative — wherever Juliana’s mind goes as some sort of dementia sets in. Juliana calls it “the great darkness.” White skillfully takes the audience between them as more truths emerge.
Director Loretta Greco, the Magic’s producing artistic director, and her talented cast carefully navigate this difficult emotional journey. Henny Russell is riveting as her Juliana tries to make sense of what’s happening and tries to convince others around her that her perceptions are real. She’s well balanced by Mackay as her supportive husband, Ian, who can be seen as the truth-teller. Paff makes Dr. Teller a competent professional. She’s also makes a convincing transition as a woman who’s outraged to find Juliana in the cottage but who soon perceives what might be happening and kindly appeases Juliana in the play’s most touching scene.
Although the set by Myung Hee Cho, who also designed the costumes, works for the first half of the intermissionless play, it has problems in the second half. That’s when a white screen across the stage opens to reveal the cottage. Unfortunately, though, the cottage’s side walls block the view of people seated on the right and left sides of the stage. Consequently, — unless they have access to the script — they have no idea what is happening in the very last scene. Otherwise, Eric Southern’s lighting, Brandon Wolcott’s sound and composition, and Hana Sooyeon Kim’s video design complement the production.
“The Other Place” is scheduled for a Broadway production by the Manhattan Theatre Club at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in December. If the Magic production is any indication, it should be a success as it examines the toll of dementia as well as the mysteries of a decade-old family tragedy.
The Magic Theatre production will continue through Oct. 7. For tickets and information, call (415) 441-8822 or visit www.magictheatre.org.
