Review - One Arm

There's much to be admired in director/adaptor Moises Kaufman's staging of Tennessee Williams' unproduced screenplay based on his 1942 short story, One Arm. If not exactly completely satisfying theatre, it is certainly a nobly-intended and well-executed curiosity.

The 85-minute one-act, taken from several drafts dating back to 1967, is played out by a fine ensemble of eight, most taking on several roles. Derek McLane's sparse sets and David Lander's moody, textured lights convey the feel of an independent art house feature.

Williams' fixation with beauty, in its most tragically attractive form, is keenly on display. Navy boxing champion Ollie Olsen (cold, emotionally still Claybourne Elder) loses his arm in car accident the night he wins the belt. (The actor performs with one arm strapped to his side.) Feeling his perfect physique to be hopelessly mutilated, he takes to surviving in New Orleans as a gay-for-pay hustler and eventually heads to New York where he is lured into being a kind of freak attraction in straight porn.

The story is told in flashback as he sits in his death row cell, awaiting execution for murder. A narrator (Noah Bean), written as a voice-over whose identity is later revealed, describes his dwelling as a birdcage; acknowledging Ollie's physical objectification. Later on, a woman he encounters (Larisa Polonsky) compares him to a beautiful, partially destroyed, antique sculpture. Unexpected comfort comes from the hundreds of letters he's received from former johns who saw his photo in the newspapers and felt compelled to offer support.

Emotional detachment may work well on the written page and on the screen, but it's a tricky business in live theatre. Whereas the attempt to put One Arm on stage proves intriguing, its central character - by no fault of the actor - is never compelling. But as imperfections go, One Arm is nevertheless worth a look.

Photo of Larisa Polonsky and Claybourne Elder by Monique Carboni.

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