Mirrors, spacemen, puppets, blinding light, and a dead goldfish. All of these elements are creatively incorporated into Quebecois Director Robert Lepage's production entitled, "the far side of the moon."
Showing at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, the production is as otherworldly as the mysterious moon itself. The one-man play centers on the relationship between two brothers, comparing their relationship to the cosmos and space in general.
An array of diverse characters is played by one very talented man, Yves Jacques. Jacques' portrayal of each character in the show, man or woman, is unique and comprehensive. Depending on the various characters he depicts, he is able to adopt a new speech and movement type during each scene.
The story opens on one brother, Philippe, who is working on his thesis. He is specifically interested in the topic of the Soviet-American space race and he even goes to the extent of describing a cosmonaut as "someone who is inspired," while an astronaut is simply "someone who is well-funded."
The other brother, Andre, is a weatherman for the local television news program. He has a family of his own, and is somewhat more self-absorbed. The brothers constantly run into disagreements about their varied life philosophies.
Despite Jacques' ability, in some scenes the play is an unconvincing conversation that doesn't seem to be going anywhere. In these scenes, it would be enhanced if there were actors playing each part separately as opposed to Jacques constantly playing against himself.
Director Lepage consistently works to create dynamic and groundbreaking theatrical performances; he is known for using technologically advanced designs. This production is unique in that the stage elements are actually projected onto the stage, like holograms, allowing for a certain amount of flexibility. The sets can be more elaborate without the laborious task of moving set pieces.
"The far side of the moon" doesn't lose it's historical context throughout, even while focusing on the character's inner confusion. Actual historical footage was played repeatedly in order to solidify various points where the space race was compared to the brothers and their own conflicts. Lepage also used puppets quite frequently during the show to provide yet another unusual and creative detail.
After the death of his mother, the more sensitive brother, Philippe, is visibly distraught as an intricate ballet begins. Dressed in his mother's clothing, he enters a laundromat and begins to dance. As he proceeds to empty the laundry machine, he slowly pulls a little spaceman out of the washer. It floats in the air as Philippe grasps it in his arms and cradles it.
While it sounds bizarre, the scene is just right in symbolizing Philippe's distress over his mother's death. Lepage creates moments like these that keep the audience intrigued by depicting what the characters feel on an abstract level, even though this technique made some of the dream sequences difficult to understand.
The show was certainly an interesting and beautiful production. It flowed seamlessly and allowed the audience to experience something unique and pleasant. The idea that all of those varied themes could come together to represent one idea is astonishing.
The show leaves audience members both stunned and perplexed. Lepage's thorough use of symbolism and metaphors help the audience to actively think during the performance. It is not simply a play in which actors entertain; instead, Lepage forces the audience to grasp the tumult in the characters.
