Boston Premiere of "Quills" Proves That the Pen Is Mightier than the Sword

"Quills"

Written by Doug Wright; directed by Rick Lombardo; scenic design by Richard Chambers; costume design by Frances Nelson McSherry; lighting design by John R. Malinowski; sound design by Rick Lombardo

Cast in order of appearance:

Dr. Royer-Collard, Steven Barkhimer

Monsieur Prouix/Lunatic, Kevin Landis

Renée Pélagie, Rachel Harker

Abbe de Coulmier, Benjamin Evett

The Marquis, Austin Pendelton

Madeleine Leclerc/Madame Royer-Collard, Marianna Bassham

Performances: now through February 6

Box Office: 617-332-1646 or www.newrep.org

I must start by warning that "Quills," a gruesome fictionalization of the last months in the life of the notorious 18^th and 19^th century pornographer and reputed sadomasochist Marquis de Sade, will not tickle everyone's fancy. There is graphic violence, sustained full nudity, and strong sexual language. That said, this Boston premiere of Doug Wright's provocative and often hilariously funny treatise against literary tyranny and religious and social hypocrisy is like the proverbial car crash. It's brutal, bloody, and twisted – but you can't take your eyes off it.

Noted veteran actor and director Austin Pendelton stars as The Marquis, drawn here by playwright Doug Wright as the one sane voice confined in an asylum run and funded by real lunatics. As in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "The King of Hearts," "Quills" pits the good inmates against the bad establishment, inferring that what makes the keepers normal is the mere fact that they have access to the keys.

In "Quills" the people in power are the asylum's director, Dr. Royer-Collard, and spiritual counsel the Abbe de Coulmier, the first a comically drawn Napoleon-esque caricature and the second an earnest, if overzealous, humanitarian and man of the cloth. Together it is their task to curb the Marquis' heretical writings by curing him of the insanity that compels him to commit such "perversions" to paper. The doctor recommends an aggressive course of treatment that includes whips, chains, and a bed of nails. The Abbe prefers a gentler approach – one that appeals to the Marquis' intelligence and artistic side.

I'm sure you can guess which man's methods are eventually employed. As each intervention on the part of the Abbe not only fails to stop the Marquis from writing but actually incites him to more and more extreme measures to scribe the words he must express, his treatment at the hands of his "savior" becomes exponentially more desperate and grotesque. Ultimately the supposedly depraved sexual predator falls victim to the true sadist – one who actually carries out the kind of tortures that the Marquis only imagines.

The New Rep production of "Quills" has many strengths, chief among them a stellar cast. Austin Pendelton is a witty, vulnerable, wily and sympathetic Marquis whose vocal inflections, precise mannerisms, and devilish smile perfectly convey the ambiguity of a man obsessed with exposing the prurient underbelly of the French aristocracy to which he himself was born. Benjamin Evett is a commanding presence as the Abbe and handles the deterioration from gentle consoler to crazed executioner in well-measured degrees. Steven Barkhimer provides good balance between his doctor's buffoonish and pompous hypocrite and his coldly calculating and self-serving power monger. Rachel Harker gives us important comic relief as the Marquis' unsympathetic and flighty wife, Renée, while Marianna Bassham delivers a lusty and genuinely affectionate performance as the Marquis' friend and laundress, Madeleine.

The problems lie in the excesses in Doug Wright's script and in the macabre and melodramatic "Grand Guignol" style in which it is presented. Wright has chosen to magnify and distort the Marquis' last days in the Charenton Asylum so much so that the play's impact becomes muddied. The audience is hit over the head with too many messages – about the abuse of power, the hypocrisy of religion and sexual mores, the need for freedom of artistic expression, the impact of pornography on society, and the censorship of political and social commentary. Scenes become repetitious and tiresome. Sincerity is sacrificed for spectacle.

If the playwright had demonstrated as much sensitivity toward his subject matter as Austin Pendelton does in bringing to life his complex, misunderstood and persecuted central character, this bold production might have been a more moving and satisfying experience. As it is, "Quills" only scratches the surface of the psyche of the Marquis de Sade, making him merely the focal point for Wright's sensationalized thesis. The New Rep gets an A for effort, but what could have been a tantalizing look into the mind of an infamous icon is, instead, a tormenting anticlimax.

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