The writer's process has been the subject of plays and films since time began, but writer and director A. John Boulanger has done something unique with his latest show, Writer's Vision(s), which is playing as part of this year's FronteraFest Long Fringe: he's given us a one-way ticket into the writer's head. We aren't just onlookers to the writer's struggle to come up with his latest work, we get to see the forces that move him, from his muse, to his inner child, to his suppressed sexuality, and a half-dozen other imaginary and all-too-real forces each richly drawn by the Boulanger, who received wide recognition with his previous work, House of Several Stories. The play borrows heavily from various sources, such as the works of Durang and Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but it combines these in such a way to give us a work bristling with creativity and originality, creating a vivid world that pulls us in and holds us tight.
The cast of A Writer's Vision(s) is filled with all-stars, including Zach Scott alums Lauren Lane (or The Nanny fame), Martin Burke, and Jill Blackwood, as well as other Austin heavy-hitter like Justine Scalise , Babs George and Michael Amendola, but many of its relative newcomers also bring some dazzling life to their characters. The most stunning performances of these is that of Breanna Stogner as the blind Muse Zing, who creates a stunning collage of personality quirks through the character, playing a sexually charged seductress and stern supervisor, while still letting a touch of insecurity and sensitivity to slip in.
A Writer's Vision(s) is based upon a trio of short plays, and in many ways it shows. The narrative flow can feel episodic, and while the stories involved are connected in several ways, and Boulanger tries his best to tie them all together by plays end, several of the segments felt somewhat independent of the others. Though each of the acts is quite enjoyable in their own right, the fractured nature of the piece can be somewhat jarring for an audience, pulling the plug on popular strings of narrative in favor of introducing some new experience. While Boulanger and Amendola do their damnedest to wrap the proceedings up neatly, at times it feels stuck together instead of a fully realized vision.
This fragmentation of narrative flow also has certain effects on the characters themselves, as many of them don't have enough time to truly breath. Even big names like Lauren Lane, who plays one of a trio of hilarious Doctors, and Babs George, who gives a stunningly caustic performance as the writer's mother, get very little stage time, through those rare moments they do grace us with their presence are heavenly. Also taking the bullet for the episodic nature are Jill Blackwood and Justin Scalise, who portray the “play version” of the writer and his mother, who each bring a healthy mixture of pathos and humor to the roles, their small segment creating a touch of magic that is hinted at elsewhere in the play, but never as fully realized. On the other side of the coin is Martin Burke as Jerry, the writer's inner child, who spends such a lengthy amount of time on stage that his over-the-top antics, which at first are charming and hilarious, become too much too take after some time.
Despite the problems inherent in translating a group of short plays into a longer work, the play is successful on so many levels, from the strength and wit of its writing to the extremely talented ensemble. It's odd worldview and surreal sense of humor may be off-putting to some, but for those looking for an original take on the “struggling writer” trope, A Writer's Vision(s) is sure to delight from minute 1 to minute 90, and is sure to be one of the hilghights of this year's festival.
A Writer's Vision(s) will be playing through this Sunday, January 30th, at Salvage Vanguard Theatre. For tickets, times, ad more info, visit hydeparktheatre.org.
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