Reviewed by Michele Markarian
“Delirium”. Written by Eugene Ionesco. Adapted and Directed by Igor Golyak. Presented by Arlekin! Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, 527 Tremont Street, Boston through July 2.
“A life without a future is nothing but a life without a future”, says one of the characters in Igor Golyak’s Delirium, an adaptation of Eugene Ionesco’s 1963 Frenzy for Two, an absurdist play about the alienation, wariness and mistrust that came in the wake of World War II. In light of our post-pandemic, war-hungry world, the existential anxiety and fear that engulfs us from the external world can sometimes work its way into our interpersonal relationships. Such is the case with the warring He (Andrey Burkovskiy) and She (Chulpan Khamatova).
He and She have been together in a discordant state for seventeen years. He, divorced, seduced She away from her husband, with whom she had no children. They and their beloved single fish live in an apartment that is slowly being destroyed by bombs and soldiers. While the play opens with a radio speech by Hitler along with cheering crowds, it is clear it also takes place in our current century, with references to post pandemic life and screams from abducted neighbors that conjure up images of ICE. He and She argue constantly – are the turtle and the snail alike, or different? Is the apartment too hot, or too cold? Is the grenade active, or inert? Their fighting is reflected on a much grander scale with the activity outside their apartment, a war that frightens them into frenzied activity. They barricade the windows with mattresses, they splash each other with water, they kiss and make up before starting again. When the terror gets too close, they dance and retreat into fantasy.
Anyone living through the post-pandemic and political unease of today’s world will relate to the play’s situation, despite the fact that it is not dire for those of us who live relatively peaceful lives in Massachusetts. When the couple decides that the bombing has stopped and it’s safe to go outside, they marvel at the thrill of an activity that was once normal. It brought back memories of sitting outside at restaurants with friends during Covid under heat lamps in winter’s chill, happy to do so, or the first trip outside of the country during the same period, with its multiple rules for masking and testing along the way. A radio ad asks He and She, “Are you worried about the state of the world? Why don’t you try focusing on something more productive, like trying to lose ten pounds?” The absurdity of such a goal is laughable, yet such things keep us somewhat sane.
Delirium is one of the bravest productions I’ve seen since Dybbuk (also by Arlekin Players). Burkovskiy and Khamalova are Moscow-trained but living abroad, Burkovskiy in New York and Khamalova in Latvia. Burkovskkiy is a very kinetic actor; he uses his entire body to express his intentions and subtext in a way that’s fascinating to watch. Khamalova matches his energy with her own, which is less coiled, more lyrical. As actors having to convey deep fear, they are utterly fearless in their performances. They spew and drink water from the fishtank, get down and dirty from the dust of Jan Pappelbaum’s amazing set, and exchange sopping wet headpieces with nothing more than a quick shake. They hate and love with equal vehemence.
In his Director’s note, Golyak writes, “My hope is that this is the play you didn’t know you needed and that you will carry it with you, like the turtle or snail, long after the lights come up.” Mission accomplished.
