BWW Reviews: The Rep's Moving Production of THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING

It's tragic enough when someone loses their spouse, but when they also lose their only child within a year and a half of that, it's simply indescribable. But that's precisely what happened to writer Joan Didion, and she chronicled the experience in her book, and in the play that followed, The Year of Magical Thinking. The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is presenting a powerful and emotion-packed presentation of this play in the intimate confines of their Studio Theatre, and while it will most certainly speak to anyone, it will resonate even deeper with those who have lost someone close to them. This one-woman show is an affecting work and Fontaine Syer delivers an exceptional performance.

Magical thinking is wishful thinking, the kind of bargain making that's only good at keeping a person in denial of their own reality. But, when you're reality is such that your husband has died and your only daughter is in a coma, it may well be the only way to keep from coming apart yourself. It's essentially a coping mechanism, and one that allows people to conquer emotional hurdles they might not be able to otherwise. For Joan Didion, it was a way to keep faith alive when her daughter kept slipping in and out of comas over the course of a year and a half, bringing hope with each remarkable recovery, and dashing the same with each mysterious re-occurrence. Though Didion is often portrayed as a frail person by the media, it's clear from her writing that what she really is is a survivor.

While the book version of this sad, and often funny and uplifting story, is able to touch the heart, that level of intimacy is greatly enhanced in this one-woman show, with Fontaine Syer capturing the inherent spirit of Joan Didion. It's a bravura performance that's fully invested, and what makes it so good is the fact that you never once think that the story she's telling us isn't her own; it's just that believable.

Director Priscilla Lindsay works to maintain interest in what could become a rather static piece by having Syer stay in motion for the most part. Whenever she does take a minute to sit and think, or address us directly, it's a moment meant to carry some weight. Rob Koharchik's scenic design is nicely understated, offering up a warm and comfortable space, without drawing too much attention. And, the same could be said for Wendy Meaden's simple, but effective costuming. Ryan Koharchik's lighting accents the drama, and so does Justin Been's sound design, with it's sparse piano soundscapes.

The Rep's production of The Year of Magical Thinking is splendidly mounted, with Syer's moving work giving voice to Didion's tragic and true tale. This presentation continues through January 30, 2011 in the Studio Theatre of the Loretto-Hilton.

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