'14' run dates: 2/1/2008 - 2/10/2008 David Thayer Theatre, on the campus of the University of Iowa, Iowa City _____________________________________________________________________________
Playwright and director John Cameron – whose new work is the 2008 Iowa Partnership in the Arts production currently running at the University of Iowa – has mined his own past for some of the source material for 14, a play with music.
To call the show controversial is probably an understatement, since it deals with 14 gay male students involved in an electric aversion therapy experiment conducted at Brigham Young University in the 1970s. As a dramatic work based on a true story, it has more than one kind of authenticity. Cameron, who was one of the students involved in the study, addresses a painful experience with an amazing realism that is shatteringly powerful.
Told from the perspective of an adult college professor looking back more than 25 years to reexamine what happened to him – and from that of the same character as an undergraduate grappling with the daily reality of being a gay and devoutly Mormon Brigham Young student – the eviscerating drama and its interweaving of a handful of haunting hymns pack a major punch.
Jim VanValen stars as Ron, the professor, and his completely genuine portrayal here is a master work. His Ron is under great emotional stress, dealing in his own way with the many issues he is facing for the first time. VanValen’s voice, which has an amazing range that swings from stricken anguish to sweet memory, is most central to his success here; but every aspect of his performance is truly wonderful.
As Aaron, the student whose questions about his sexuality drive him to volunteer for the sadistic "study," Brian Bentz is heartfelt and heartbreakingly authentic. Jessica Bocade is superb (if poorly dressed...the lesbian stereotype of flannel, alterations-please slacks and white socks with loafers is so over) as Judy, a determined journalist whose quest for a story first prompts Ron’s new look at this traumatic time from his youth. As David, chair of Ron’s department, Martin Andrews is another performer who creates a distinct character, and his handsome looks and velvet voice make him perfect for this almost-romantic role.
Two additional standouts among the rest of the capable cast are Helen Kim, who portrays Marla, Aaron’s girlfriend, and John Watkins, who plays three roles. Though several musical numbers earn laughs and underscore major dramatic moments, Kim’s devastatingly gorgeous rendition of a hymn at the end of a pivotal scene is the musical highlight of the entire show. Watkins’ incredible versatility is on display here, and his work as the outlandish Paul, Ron’s favorite old friend, is totally delightful. Though far from the only great performance in 14, it is certainly as memorable as any could possibly be.
The technical work on this production is also stellar, enriching and underscoring every single scene. The scenic design, by Edward Matthew Walter, and the lighting design by Bryon Winn are such a powerful combination, creating the space that contains all the action of this fantastic play. Loaded with black and white and greys – which are a perfect combination for this work – without ever being the slightest bit boring, the atmosphere and staging for 14 is an amazing collaboration that is exactly what the material requires.
As sensitive as the subject matter may be, 14 stands as an important work that speaks to all the impact great theater can have. It is a moving work that I sincerely hope will find a much wider audience, and Cameron’s incredible courage impresses me almost as much as his show does.
