With Valentine’s Day around the corner, there’s probably not a card on a shelf that goes like this – “I’m a pedophile, and you have Turner Syndrome. We are perfect for each other. I love you. $3.99”
There’s no real way to come up with a spin that makes society a little comfortable with pedophilia. Even tougher, how does a theatre production tackle such a taboo subject while still staying true to the honesty and humor of the story, all the while without scaring off an audience.
San Jose’s Renegade Theatre Experiment has built a company that does not hesitate to take risks, and their latest offering is more of the same. The West Coast premiere of “Green Whales,” which opens on Saturday, Feb. 4th, is the story of Ian (Keith Marshall), who is picked up by a police officer for watching a group of girls play soccer from a distance, albeit with a bit too much interest.
Add in the 38-year-old Karen (Gloria McDonald), a philosophy professor who can’t really get anyone to take her seriously. She’s educated, intelligent and professional, yet has struck out in matters of the heart. A further complicated wrench is that Karen has Turner syndrome, a genetic condition that indicates the absence of one of the two X chromosomes in women, a condition which makes a woman look more girlish and extremely young. In Karen’s case, she appears to be about 13-years-old.
This would be a problem for the lion’s share of men who have no interest in dating someone who looks like a child, but not for Ian. He is scarred by infidelity in a failed marriage, and attracted more to the idea of youth than something based on the physical. And something Ian shares with Karen is the phenomena of green whales, which are extremely rare. But when green whales meet, they are mates for life.
East Coast playwright Lia Romeo has carved out a nice niche in writing plays and stories that explore alternative twists on the traditional romantic comedy love story. And with “Whales,” what can be a bigger twist than something that is so twisted?
“When you hear it’s a love story with a pedophile, it’s hard to deal with, but it really isn’t that,” said Romeo. “The fact of him being an actual pedophile, there is some grey area. And not just that, but generally each of the characters have certain issues or problems with varying degrees of difficulty.”
Renegade’s artistic director Sean C. Murphy is not an Ian apologist by any means. But he also sees that Ian’s challenges are not anything that’s clearly black and white.
“When you meet him you realize it’s not a man in a van with a bag of candy,” said Murphy. “It’s not about sex or power, which pedophilia is about. The story is about looking to connect with someone in an honest way. She pursues him, and there are complications that arise from that.”
Much in the same way William Shakespeare’s Prince Hamlet had lots to say about everything under the sun, he saved lots of choice words for women. These days, Ian is not exactly worshipping at the altar of the finer sex. It’s easy to see Ian as the melancholy dude, with all that frailty in his face. But that is why the relationship between he and Karen has serious potential.
“Here’s a guy is in his 40’s, and he feels older women are jaded and bitter,” said Murphy. “This relationship for Ian is something invigorating, but not in a sexual way.
“When you see it on paper, you see it not as black and white. He’s a really good guy, and never intended to do anything sinister.”
Director Ana-Catrina Buchser approached the material with a certain pragmatism. While on the surface, the material seems a bit racy, but it isn’t a story of the passion of a pervert. And at the end of the day, the play is a comedy, however dark.
“I am the mother of two daughters, and the thought of a young girl being seduced by an older man is uncomfortable, but the way the script is written doesn’t go that way,” said Buchser. “He is a broken, confused man with a lot of pain. (In rehearsals) we talked about creating a real person and not worry about him being a pedophile. Keith and I had a lot of conversations about how to try and interpret the character in a real way and not worry about what the audience might think of him.”
And certainly, while the idea of these two lovebirds seems strange, there are definitely pieces of the story that are universal. It’s important to examine what goes into making two souls connect together in ways that were never thought possible, and ultimately, how we find the laughter and humor in the storytelling
“I think the story, in my opinion, tries to push the limits of what is acceptable or unacceptable sexual deviation,” said Buchser. “A pedophile and a woman are unacceptable, but they are perfect for each other. And ultimately, who can make that decision? It’s a comedy and it’s the right way to approach the subject. Laughing will make people more comfortable and willing to accept the story.”
Accepting the story, yes. Buying the Hallmark card? Probably not.
EXAMINE IT FOR YOURSELF
Renegade Theatre Experiment presents the West Coast Premiere of “Green Whales”
Written by Lia Romeo
Directed by Ana-Catrina Buchser
Tickets Range from $10 - $25
Through Feb. 25th
Historic Hoover Theater
1635 Park Avenue
San Jose, CA 95126
For tickets, call (408) 493-0783 or visit the official website.
David is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Email him at dchavez04@att.net
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