“Fever Dreams”
TheaterWorks Hartford
“Fever Dreams,” the exciting new play by Jeffrey Lieber, currently playing at TheaterWorks Hartford, certainly knows how to get an audience’s attention. In the opening, dimly lit moments, a sense of danger and some confusion are instantly conjured up and this show only gets more gripping and incisive as it goes along. Featuring a faultless cast of three, this production is first rate in just about every department. Director Rob Ruggiero does a terrific job of keeping one on the edge of one’s seat and “Fever Dreams” continues to evolve as the plot gets more and more intriguing and surprising.
Running a swift two hours, with an intermission, this play has more twists than a bag full of pretzels. On the excellent set (by Luke Cantarella), which is of a remote cabin in the woods, “Fever Dreams” uses a sense of claustrophobia to add to the thrill ride of the show and the characters’ isolation is both figurative and literal. TheaterWorks Hartford certainly has a potent new show in “Fever Dreams” and this production is most highly recommended.
Considering how many shocking moments pop up in the show, I am loath to reveal any of the details of the play, other than to say that the cabin belongs to the character of Zachary (excellently portrayed by Doug Savant) and it is the place that Adele (the fine Lana Young) secretly meets up with him. Also figuring into the plot is the character of Miller, splendidly portrayed by Tim DeKay, whose appearance late in the first act incites the real drama of “Fever Dreams” and spins it nearly out of control. Still, this is a tightly woven play and the direction matches that quality perfectly. “Fever Dreams” almost plays like a feverish dream itself and the characters’ conversations about insects and mating rights, which sound more than a bit bizarre at first, fit in ideally with the frightening nature of the show.
In a play in which just about anything can happen, the three performers are fully up to the unpredictable nature of their characters. Doug Savant, in the part of Zachary, is really the person onstage that the audience can sympathize most with. Savant is pretty great in this part and his performance is nuanced and deeply intelligent. Lana Young, as Adele, matches her costar perfectly and her portrayal is full of a freshness and a bright quality that is instantly engaging. As Miller, Tim DeKay is a bit of an enigma when he first appears and his appearance alone in the show brings an electricity to the stage. Putting these three people together, the plot of “Fever Dreams” can be, by turns, revealing and more than a bit explosive.
In addition to eliciting such fantastic performances from his cast, the director also works wonders with the design team. As mentioned, the action of the play takes place in a cabin in the woods and there are several playing areas onstage. The costumes, designed by Alejo Vietti and Joseph Shrope, are interesting and appropriate and help to define each of the characters. Sherrice Mojgani’s lighting design is brilliant and the original music and sound design by Lindsay Jones are wonderful and they only add to the show’s fascinating and atmospheric spell.
The playwright has done a superb job of structuring “Fever Dreams,” so that each new twist and turn in the show feels believable and more and more awe-inspiring. Indeed, if there was ever a show that featured such complicated relationships and situations, it is this one. The masterstroke of “Fever Dreams” is concluding this intense play with a flashback and using the Pat Benatar song, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” to cunning and precise effect. One really needs to see the show to understand exactly what I mean. “Fever Dreams,” at TheaterWorks Hartford is a highly mysterious and devilish play that is sure to inspire heated conversations long after the show has ended.
“Fever Dreams” at TheaterWorks Hartford in Hartford, CT runs through November 3, 2024. For tickets, please visit http://www.twhartford.org
Photo: Tim DeKay and Doug Savant
Photo by Mike Marques
Reviews by Zander Opper 