In the Huntington Theatre Company's production of "36 Views," paintings transform into dramatic art. Written by Naomi Iizuka, the play was inspired by a series of woodblock paintings by Japanese artist Hokusai Katsushika. The work attempts to incorporate artistic history into a mysterious drama which follows the interactions of aesthetes and intellectuals over a newly discovered "pillow book," the ancient journal of a Japanese courtesan.
The play opens with an intricate and beautiful set that is clearly Japanese-inspired. In the first moments of the play, the main character, Setsuko Hearn, disrobes a Japanese kimono to signify the story's progression from an ancient time to the modern era.
Though the play's lyrical dialogue is at times over-the-top in its pretentiousness, the acting is consistently convincing. Male lead V. Craig Heidenrich plays Darius Wheeler - a suave, manipulative and self-assured gentleman who happens to be the owner of a successful Asian art dealership. Claire Tsong (Jane Cho) is the passionate, urban punk who is somewhat annoyed by Wheelers' haughtiness and who consoles herself with the thought that she is a free-agent, and not his full-time employee.
Brad Heberlee plays John Bell, the quiet, awkward and over-educated personal assistant to Wheeler and the discoverer of this mystifying "pillow book." As Professor Owen Matthiassen, Macintyre Dixon plays the part of a dignified Asian art connoisseur very well, frequently making nostalgic references to "Orientalistists." Finally, star Christine Toy Johnson is graceful and seductive as Setsuko Hearn, an East Asian literature professor who shares Wheeler's arrogance and confidence.
The actors are more than able to handle the awkward scripted switches between the ancient and modern characters, and this is facilitated by Teresa Snider-Stein's costume design. The visual aspects of this play are certainly its strong point and help to weave together the story in a more focused and coherent way.
Despite the fact that the lengthy monologues throughout the play are rife with poetry and crammed with profound, lyrical interludes, the plot ultimately lacks substance.
As the play progresses, mysterious ninja-like individuals who wear black hoods became a major presence. At certain times, they simply move props offstage but in other scenes they take off other characters' kimonos. The fact that these sinister entities appear invisible to the characters onstage add to the mysterious allure of the play.
Adam Stockhausen contributes to that allure with his unique set, celebrating all forms of Asian art. Graceful, mischievous and sexy, its clean lines depict both modern and ancient times. The delicate and fluid screens help to create an absorbing, indeed, awe-inspiring set which enhances the Japanese aspect of the play.
The set is effectively used to initiate flashbacks within the story. As the play proceeds and the setting jumps between generations, the scenery changes accordingly, and the set is able to convert from one time period to another with ease. In fact, both the costumes and the set are unique in that they capture the distinct grace and refinement of Japanese culture.
The production elements of the play certainly deserve credit. Between Evan Yionoulis' dramatic blocking of the play, the elegant costumes of Snider-Stein and the graceful scenery created by Stockhausen, audience members are taken back in time. There is even a memorable traditional Kabuki performance in full Japanese regalia.
Although these artistic details contribute to the overall production, the play lacks substance. Between the stilted and pretentious language, the long and prolonged discussions of various art pieces, and the lack of an interesting plot, this is a play that likely will not be appreciated by attendees without a background and interest in Asian art.
The actors are all quite talented and the scenery is absolutely stunning, but these items are overshadowed by an uninteresting script, lengthy monologues about inaccessible art topics, a lackluster storyline and sloppy plot twists.
"36 Views" is a halfhearted version of "Memoirs of a Geisha" meets "The Da Vinci Code." This play is a visual treat but unless you are an art scholar, you are not going to enjoy this wanna-be mystery thriller.
