Seattle Review: Swimming in the Shallows

Not many playwrights can make a love story between a gay male and a shark believable. Adam Bock is one of those rare writers whose quirky style is rooted in truth. Swimming in the Shallows, which opened Friday at Washington Ensemble Theatre, is one of the most original plays in years. And this remarkable new production makes the work shine beyond belief.

Bock blurs the line between reality and fantasy, always making his audience work to make sense of a world similar yet quite different from our own. Swimming in the Shallows has lots of madcap fun, but the universal themes ground the material. His characters are fragmented souls struggling to find meaning in an existence that is often dominated by emptiness. We are introduced to a close circle of friends who share their fears candidly. They negotiate their way through the tricky world of love, always longing for what isn't present. It is difficult not to like Bock's flawed characters, and impossible not to see yourself in each of them.

WET's guest director Katjana Vadeboncoeur masters the difficult technique of making the comedy stem from the action. Everything in this production is done out of necessity. There is never an embarrassing moment where a laugh is attempted without reason. Vadeboncoeur has her intelligent company moving at a rapid pace that never feels forced or overwhelming.  The choice to abandon the thick Maine/>/> accents that plagued the off-Broadway production is wise. This world is universal. Stripping it of specifics aids the material greatly. They never force themselves to explain Bock's many mixed metaphors, which allows the audience to draw their own conclusions.

Vadeboncoeur has surrounded herself with a superb acting company who give new meaning to the world ensemble. They all operate on the same page, creating a believable universe with texture and poignancy. They easily switch between the comic and dramatic moments, always making their choices stem from their characters. In a play full of many abstract moments, the actors display great care in their approach to the material. Lesser performers could have made this production all about the silliness, but these capable artists are aware of the purpose and importance of Bock's text. A series of comic vignettes towards the end of the night get big laughs not because they are zany, but because the company supplies an unthreatening honesty to everything they execute.

Marc Kenison gives a fierce performance as serial dater Nick. His love affair with The Shark (Michael Place) never seems contrived or exaggerated. Kenison never apologizes for Nick's mistakes, and shows us a man tired of meaningless encounters. His chemistry with Place is palpable, sexy, and electric. Place's shark is heartbreaking, and acts as the core of this production. We see a creature bombarded by the mundane, fighting for an identity.  

Elise Hunt and Rhonda Soikowski are perfection as an engaged couple scrambling to plan their commitment ceremony. Carla Carla (Hunt) is a neurotic-compulsive obsessed with Donna's (Soikowski's) smoking addiction.  Hunt and Tavares give history to their relationship, and provide great tenacity to the festivities. Alexandra Tavares' Barb is a superb portrait of someone longing to find simplicity in a world full of status symbols. She greatly illustrates a woman surrounded by objects that can never provide happiness.  All three ladies fill their work with ticks and nuances that give Bock's world even more weight.

This could have easily been a production full of meaningless business. It is comforting to see a company intent on justifying everything their playwright has given them.

The design team proves that a Seattle/>/> fringe production doesn't always have to consist of a dirty floor and some unpainted chairs. Jennifer Zeyl's sleek set frames the action nicely. She provides a definite mood before the text begins.  Robert J. Aguilar's stunning lighting design knows when to be real and when to be abstract. Heidi Ganser reminds us that contemporary costuming can be powerful and crucial. She chooses all the right garments, using a vibrant palate. Matt Starritt's hip sound design is right on the mark, keeping us at the right distance from reality.

WET's passion for theatre is visible in every moment of their remarkable production of Swimming in the Shallows. Many have rightly declared WET the best new fringe theatre in Seattle/>/>. With their latest attempt, they can now proudly view themselves on the short list of remarkable risk takers/>. In a town that can often cling to the traditional, it is refreshing to find a work that can entertain and provoke simultaneously. 

Swimming in the Shallows runs through March 6^th at The Little Theatre in Capitol Hill. For tickets call (800) 838-3006, or visit www.washingtonensemble.org  

Pictured: Marc Kenison as Nick. Photo by Jennifer Zeyl.

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