{"id":3817,"date":"2012-10-24T03:15:11","date_gmt":"2012-10-24T10:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=3817"},"modified":"2012-10-24T07:32:26","modified_gmt":"2012-10-24T14:32:26","slug":"freuds-last-session","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/freuds-last-session\/","title":{"rendered":"Freud’s Last Session"},"content":{"rendered":"

San Jose<\/strong> Rep presents\u2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n

FREUD\u2019S LAST SESSION<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Mark St. Germain<\/p>\n

Directed by Stephen Wrentmore<\/p>\n

Starring Ben Evett & J. Michael Flynn<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

To be an atheist requires an indefinitely greater measure of faith<\/p>\n

Than to receive all the great truths which atheism would deny.<\/p>\n

Joseph Addison<\/p>\n

This play is an imaginary glimpse into the minds of two great thinkers, C. S. Lewis and Dr. Sigmund Freud in a conversation the day before England enters World War II and two weeks before Freud, dying of oral cancer ends his own life. \u00a0The two men discuss love, sex and the existence of God and debate the value and impact of all three on the human condition.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kent Dorsey\u2019s magnificent set recreates Freud\u2019s study and sets the mood for the 90 minute discussion between the two men.\u00a0 Director Stephen Wrentmore manages to keep the play moving by making use of the entire stage.\u00a0 The characters move from the tea table, to the couch to the radio to listen to the news proclaiming the imminence of war.\u00a0 Somehow, the combination of excellent direction and superb acting keeps the dialogue from descending into a tiresome recitation of two men\u2019s conflicting philosophies.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

C. S. Lewis ((Ben Evett) has recently embraced religion and Freud (J. Michael Flynn) says, \u201cI want to learn why a man of your intellect would abandon truth and embrace a lie.\u201d\u00a0 The remaining 90 minutes is spent hearing the reason Lewis knows that God exists and Freud is equally sure religion is a myth.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Freud points out that the very existence of Hitler proves that there is no supreme being watching over us and Lewis disagrees.\u00a0 \u201cHitler\u2019s actions reinforce the opposite,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have to accept that there is a moral law.\u201d And he goes on to say, \u201cThe wish that God doesn\u2019t exist can be stronger than the wish that God does.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Freud counters with \u201cTheologians hide behind their ignorance;\u201d and as the discussion continues he says, \u201cI always find what people don\u2019t tell me is less important than what they do.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lewis sees that Freud is dying and he says, \u201cHow can a man of your intelligence think the end is the end?\u00a0\u00a0 When you are faced with death, then what?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Indeed, through the endless back and forth discussion whether God exists or if He is a product of our imagination, the arguments presented were the same l ones religious leaders and atheist have been tossing back and forth every since religion began.\u00a0 It was Michael Bakunin who said, \u201cAll religions, with their gods, their demi-gods, and their prophets, their messiahs and their saints, were created by the prejudiced fancy of men who had not attained the full development and full possession of their faculties.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In contrast Calvin Coolidge said, \u201cIt is hard to see how a great man can be an atheist. Without the sustaining influence of faith in a divine power we could have little faith in ourselves. We need to feel that behind us is intelligence and love.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The debate we heard on the San Jos\u00e9 Repertory\u2019s stage was the one that has been going on for centuries.\u00a0 There were no shocking revelations, no new lights cast on the eternal conflict between religion and its opponents.\u00a0 The play is saved by the virtuosity of the actors moving across an amazing set that recreates the time the play is taking place and the pace of the production.\u00a0 You won\u2019t hear anything new in this play, nor will the ideas presented convince you that your own belief is invalid.\u00a0 I doubt that either argument presented in the script will be innovative or strong enough to convert a believer and convince one who does not.\u00a0 The virtue of this production is in the acting and direction and for that alone it is well worth the price of admission.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

FREUD\u2019S LAST SESSION<\/strong> continues through \u00a0November 4, 2012<\/p>\n

San Jose Repertory theatre<\/p>\n

101 Paseo de San Antonio<\/p>\n

San Jose<\/p>\n

Tickets $29-$74 408 367 7255 or www. Sjrep.com<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

San Jose Rep presents\u2026. FREUD\u2019S LAST SESSION By Mark St. Germain Directed by Stephen Wrentmore Starring Ben Evett & J. Michael Flynn To be an atheist requires an indefinitely greater…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[837],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3817","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-joe-cillo"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"