Enigmatic Variations Playing at the Arsenal Center for the Arts
The promotional poster for Flat Earth Theatre’s production of The Enigma Variations.
One of the truisms about theater (and life in general) is that the best people are always in the most demand. It makes a lot of sense – who wouldn’t want to collaborate with the best, especially if they’re easy/fun/exciting/et cetera to work with? One of these busy people is Sarah Gazdowicz, an actress, stage manager, and director whose latest creative endeavor is with Flat Earth Theatre. Sarah directs Enigma Variations, a play by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt whose official synopsis alone intrigues one’s curiosity:
THE STORY: Nobel Prize-winning author Abel Znorko lives as a recluse on a remote island in the Norwegian Seas. For fifteen years, his one friend and soulmate has been Helen, from whom he has been physically separated for the majority of their affair. Journalist Erik Larsen arrives to interview Znorko about his latest book, which is, in fact, a transcript of correspondence between the author and Helen. As Larsen seeks to unmask the identity of Helen, Znorko becomes infuriated. Evasions and lies twist into increasingly complex puzzles. Is Larsen really a journalist? Is it possible that both Znorko and Larsen love the same woman? Is Helen still alive? Slowly the barriers between the two men begin to fall as the profound mysteries of intimacy rise in their place.
If the setup isn’t enough, Sarah has triple-cast the play, so each of the two characters is played simultaneously by three actors each. The Boston Globe has a writeup.
Enigma Variations plays at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA through Saturday, April 27, 2013.
