Theater Review | 'Shining' performances make for a haunting play

As the divorce rate grows every year, the concept of marriage (and loyalty) comes into question. For what reasons ought a man stay faithful to his wife? Should he feel guilty if he does not? Conor McPherson's Tony-nominated ghost play, "Shining City," examines the lives of two Dubliners: John, a recent widower driven to therapy by the appearance of his late wife's ghost, and Ian, his young priest-turned-psychologist with relationship troubles of his own. When John (played by John Judd) first enters Ian's (Jay Whittaker) office, he is reluctant to tell his story, but once the words start flowing, he is unable to stop them. Throughout the play, John slowly reveals the nature of his relationship with his wife, their inability to have children, and his desire to "just know there's somethin' else" to life other than his stale marriage. His problems stem from the appearance of his wife's ghost in his house, forcing him to flee to a motel and to seek psychological help. The parallels between Ian's and John's troubles ultimately suggest that the ghost appears because of John's lingering guilt over his lack of fidelity. Early in his sessions with Ian, John wonders aloud if he has settled for second best in his life and his marriage, rather than pursuing a "better" wife. Throughout the course of the play, John slowly heals as he unloads his guilt, transforming himself from a troubled and lonely man to one that is vivacious and content. Ian is stricken by his conflicts with the living. He left the clergy in favor of living as a layperson, yet has clearly failed to adjust fully to such a life. While Ian seems to be a fairly competent therapist, his greatest problem is his lack of communication skills. The action of the play never leaves Ian's office, which is set up with a large, leather couch at center stage and surrounded by the various daily trappings of a psychologist's office. Robert Falls, who directed the original production of "Shining City" on Broadway, uses light and shadow to a remarkable effect, creating stark images to move between scenes. Just as his office is the only location of the action, Ian's story is the heart of "Shining City." Although John's narrative often steals the spotlight, there is a sense that his story is at an end. His wife is gone, but he will recover and move on. As he leaves Ian's office for the last time, he seems settled and at peace. On the other hand, Ian is still at an impasse when the curtain falls. McPherson makes it startlingly clear how he feels about Ian's decision to renew his relationship with the mother of his child. The resemblance to John's experience leaves no doubt that Ian too has settled for second best. "Shining City" combines aspects of a psychological thriller and a ghost story without being overly frightening. Instead, the presence of a ghost serves to both motivate John's revitalization and to sharply contrast it with Ian's experiences. McPherson masterfully delves into the psyches of both Ian and John, forcing them to consider their duties as husbands and fathers. Ian's doubt stems from a completely different source than John's, but his dilemma is essentially the same. The story raises issues of when a person should stay in an unfulfilling relationship, and where the breaking point is. The beauty of the play is most evident in its circular dialogue and long, emotional monologues that move the plot forward without any real action. So much is revealed through word alone that nothing else seems necessary; the play could nearly be performed standing still. Robert Fall's genius is that he has directed very little gratuitous movement, instead allowing the characters' emotions to become the motivation for organic motion around Ian's office. The two scenes with the most movement, when Ian breaks up with his child's mother and when he invites in a drifter, are both staged like chases, frenetic and anxious. Whittaker otherwise keeps his character very still, almost unnaturally so, as if he is attempting to keep himself under the tightest control for fear of bursting out. At its barest, "Shining City" is about human contact. McPherson created two characters, trapped in isolation by their own inability to communicate, desperate to find themselves.