Deer and the Lovers (Emily Zemba)

It's that time of year again: Yale's Carlotta Festival of New Plays is in full swing. Tonight, we saw the first of three and were very impressed.

The program notes were limited to a Frida Kahlo quotation and her self-portrait as a St Sebastian- arrow-pierced, antlered deer. Together, they set up expectations for a theatrical piece of feminist surrealism, expectations immediately defied by the pedestrian stage sets. Of course, the sets misled us, and Frida spoke to the heart of the matter.

Seventh-inning stretch: scene change during intermission performed by animal-masked grounds keepers

Zemba's comedy depends upon apparently absurd situations that are explained away with seemingly plausible reasons---until the rational sides is twisted into further absurdity.  Her use of language places her squarely in the school of Will Eno, with the linguistic ground constantly shifting about us. Zemba has a good ear for language, and I look forward to seeing her future work.

The first act was stronger than the second, when the timing was off and the play attempted a bit too much.

Recommend