'Closer' showcases sex, relationships and emotion
By Lisa Wakeland, Staff Writer
April 17, 2007 | 7:09 p.m.
In simple terms, it’s a play about the lives of four people. “Closer,” however, delves deeper into the psyche of adults and explores the complicated world of lies and infidelity surrounding the main characters.
At the core, “Closer” is a love story, although a very twisted one. It’s not about unrequited love; it is about insatiable desire. After a chance meeting, stripper Alice and obituary writer Dan begin a relationship filled with deceit and sexual tension. Photographer Anna and dermatologist Larry begin their relationship after an explicit instant messenger conversation. The relationships between each couple have little similarity except that both are based on deception -- the core idea of Patrick Marber’s play.
“The show is about everyone’s infidelity, their search for true love, their distance and their inability to connect,” director Gina Beach said. “We wanted to do something a little different and a little experimental than what most of the theater groups on campus are doing.”
Intentionally simple set design keeps the focus on the four freshmen actors, Dinah Berkeley (Alice), Jack Gilbert (Larry), Kailey Harless (Anna) and Patrick Muhlberger (Dan). Background art is a series of abstract lines drawn by director Jeremy Yingling, conveying the setting of the scene. There are fish for the aquarium, naked women for the strip club and columns for the museum. “Our sets are really simple; draped furniture, nothing ornate or fancy,” director Nora Merecicky said.
One powerful scene captures the duality of the main characters’ lives by using the open ground in front of the stage and the stage space. Dan tells his girlfriend, Alice, about the yearlong affair he’s been having with Anna. At the same time, Anna tells her husband Larry about her salacious relationship with Dan, but not before her husband confesses to sleeping with a whore on a business trip to New York City.
Temporarily, the guilt is lifted off Anna’s shoulders before Larry confronts her with passionate words, a mix of anger, resentment and begging her not to leave. The same is true for Alice. She yells and cries after Dan drops the news, threatening to leave and asking him to hold her. True love is often distorted in the interactions of the main characters
Another trick employed in “Closer” to keep the focus dialogue and interaction between the characters was color coordination. Anna always wears red, while Alice is adorned in blue. Both Larry and Dan change colors based on which woman they are seeing at the time, a subtle touch the directors said the audience should pick up. One thing the audience might miss is the play’s use of British slang, as Marber originally wrote his work for London theatres.
The characters and their interactions are complex, but that’s one reason the cast was drawn to the production. “I’m a theater major and there are certain roles that I would just love to have the opportunity to play, and this is one of them,” Dinah Berkeley said. “Alice is more intriguing to me. I think that’s important, if you are going to play a character you have to be interested.”
In three words, Berkeley described her character as disarming, ambitious and mysterious, while Muhlberger described his character as reserved, deceitful and selfish. The descriptions, however, aren’t unique to the character; each word can describe any of the characters.
“Closer” is an independent production backed by the Honors College, with all expenses coming out of the pockets of cast and crew. “It’s completely independent, which had its challenges and privileges,” director Jeremy Yingling said. “We worked hard and we want to showcase our work.”
The seven members of the cast and crew pulled resources from everywhere for costumes, props and set designs. Berkeley found her stripper costume at the Athens Underground, and the rest of the cast exchanged clothes to use as costumes. “Everyone’s ideas contributed,” Yingling said. “We had no distinct roles; everyone just brought their talents to the table.”
The depth and complexity of Marber’s play was translated to the screen in the 2004 film, “Closer,” starring Julia Roberts (Anna), Jude Law (Dan), Natalie Portman (Alice) and Clive Owen (Larry). Both Owen and Portman won Golden Globe Awards for their roles.
A twisted web of deception fills the new Baker Theater in “Closer.” It’s a small production, but the message speaks volumes about the raw emotion of adult relationships.
'In simple terms, it’s a play about the lives of four people. “Closer,” however, delves deeper into the psyche of adults and explores the complicated world of lies and infidelity surrounding the main characters.