Review: Unseen Images' FAR AWAY Creates a Disturbing Dream World at The Venue

From the moment you entire The Venue and see Amanda Hudson-Giese sitting in a rocking chair on stage, there is a dream-like quality to Unseen Images Theatre's production of Caryl Churchill's 2000 play, FAR AWAY. This dream-like quality continues as the play-proper begins, but it quickly spirals into a jarring nightmare, in which fragments of scenes and stories present a disjointed look at a world at war with itself. Less interested in sharing a complete narrative, FAR AWAY instead sets up brief, bizarre glimpses into a world that appears to be devolving into a dystopian hellscape.

With a scant 45-minute running time, the play is broKen Down to three sections following the life of Joan, played by the incredibly charismatic Brenna Arden. As a child, Joan visits her aunt (Hudson-Giese) and uncle's farm, and witnesses what could be a dark family secret. Fifteen years later as an adult, Joan is now a hat-maker charged with creating pieces for a disturbing parade. In the final scene, Joan secretly returns to her aunt's home.

Going into much more plot detail than that would likely spoil the show's unsettling surprises, however, the piece serve as a cautionary tale for what our world could become if hyper-partisanship turns to scorched-earth tribalism. The environment that Churchill creates is one of fear, danger, and paranoia.

Arden is a remarkably layered and captivating guide through Churchill's vivid nightmare. Her progression from frightened child to thoughtful artist to brave warrior is deeply compelling, even if the specifics of the war are unclear to the audience. While the nature of the play doesn't allow for much actual character development, the changes in the character from scene-to- scene make it clear that Arden is an extraordinarily compelling performer.

Throughout the three acts, we see a progression for Joan, which Arden subtly navigates. From a child easily persuaded to accept the atrocities around her, to a naïve, young adult tangentially complicit in them, to a grown woman unwilling to accept them any longer; with this arc, Chruchill warns what can happen if you declare war on the world and everything in it.

As Todd, who begins as Joan's millinery mentor, Charlie Wright provides a sturdy foil to help Joan see how important it is to stand up for yourself. Hudson-Giese is off-putting as an evasive manipulator.

In Joan's final monologue, Arden passionately warns of how dangerous a world can be when anger, selfishness, and suspicion forces everyone into their own insular corners; certainly something to keep in mind as our elections approach next month.

You can purchase tickets to this strange political drama here. Unseen Images hosts a talkback after every performance to discuss just how close to our present reality FAR AWAY hits.

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Banner Credit: Brenna Arden and Charlie Wright. Photo Credit: Unseen Images Theatre

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