Freud's Last Session at BSC

Written by Mark St. Germain

Directed by Tyler Marchant

(Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield, Mass., Stage 2, now through June 28, $25 to $30)

 

Reviewed by Lesley Ann Beck

 

Martin Rayner . . . Sigmund Freud

Mark H. Dold . . . C.S. Lewis

 

It is 1939, and Sigmund Freud, having fled the Nazis, is living and working in London. Suffering from terminal cancer, contemplating the end of his life, Freud, an atheist, invites Christian theologian and professor C.S. Lewis to his study for a conversation about the existence of God. This is the fascinating premise behind Mark St. Germain’s new play, Freud’s Last Session.

 

The contrast between the two characters offers the playwright ample opportunity for verbal sparring; Martin Rayner as Freud and Mark H. Dold as Lewis effectively embody those differences in a pair of strong performances. Freud is in his eighties while Lewis is half his age; Freud is a scientist while Lewis is of a more romantic turn; Freud is acerbic and sharp where Lewis is gentle, albeit more than a match for Freud in conviction and intellect. The audience learns a lot about these characters in just a little over an hour, from the painful ravages of Freud’s illness to the wit and wisdom of both men.

 

One of the most successful aspects of this well-crafted production is that between the script, direction, and performances, these two iconic figures are rendered real, human, and accessible. News from the BBC on the radio reminds us that WWII is about to begin, and the approaching conflict is very much a part of the dramatic structure of the play; it is, in fact, what creates common ground for the characters at one point, as the reality of war intrudes.

 

Rayner as Freud is the dominant character, growling and impatient; Dold as Lewis is softer, but not intimidated by the famous doctor. Director Tyler Marchant has his actors using every square foot of the single set, Freud’s London study, decorated to look like his office in Vienna, with book-lined walls and statues of ancient gods and mythical figures atop the desk. Set designer Brian Prather has recreated the space, including the famous couch, and lighting designer Clifton Taylor has given us the English morning light pouring in through the large window, visually anchoring an excellent production that allows us, the audience, the pleasure of spending time with two extraordinary figures of the twentieth century. (June 2009)

 

 

Set design: Brian Prather. Lighting design: Clifton Taylor. Costume design: Mark Mariani. Sound design: Beth Lake. Stage manager: Kate J. Cudworth.

(Show runs about one hour, fifteen minutes without an intermission.)

Freud’s Last Session was suggested by The Question of God by Dr. Armand M. Nicholi Jr.

 

 

Stage 2

36 Linden St.

Pittsfield, Mass.

413.236.8888