Small casts and haunting pasts ignite in Chilean political thriller

"Death and the Maiden," the Chilean political thriller by Ariel Dorfman, is currently running at Theatre~Intime. The intriguing story about reconciliation and overcoming troubled pasts is set in Chile during its return to democracy.

The plot centers around a former prisoner of the revolution who is haunted by the torture she received. One night she is given the chance to confront the man she believes to be responsible for her past afflictions.

The play's run marks two debuts on the Intime stage. Director Paula Goldman GS is responsible for the first graduate-student-directed production in several years.

In addition, sole female cast member and lead role, Maria Livadiotis '02, makes her debut on the Intime stage and the Princeton stage, playing Paulina Salas — the former prisoner of the Chilean revolution given the chance to avenge her past.

Co-starring are Macauley Peterson '01 and Johannes Chudoba GS. Peterson plays Dr. Roberto Miranda — the man accused of previously torturing Salas who, because of random circumstances years later, finds himself a guest in her home, and soon after her prisoner.

Chudoba, the third of the troupe, plays Salas' husband, Gerardo Escobar.

With only three actors in the entire production, the characters and performers emanate remarkable chemistry. Livadiotis and Peterson work well together. The use of monologue to describe Salas' imprisonment allows the actors' talents to both blend together and stand out at once.

One particular physical scene where Livadiotis and Peterson are worthy of serious praise is when Salas knocks Miranda unconscious, drags him across the stage, and binds and gags him.

This sequence is indicative of the dynamic range of emotion required for Livadiotis to express. She finds the perfect balance between the psychotic emotions of a woman who is holding a man hostage, waiting for his confession and the expected effect of a woman previously exposed to brutality and torture, now given the chance for retribution.

Even more laudable is that this is Livadiotis' first lead role and Chudoba's first play in English since he was 7-years-old.

Peterson's previous experience, including Triangle Club and Jewish Theater Project productions, shines through as he nails the complexity of his evil character, especially with his ability to exhibit the crazed expressions of a madman with his eyes and craft the unique voice and mannerisms that his character warrants.

Part of what makes the play so fresh and interesting can be attributed to Dorfman's script. The story never concretely clarifies if Peter-son's character is guilty of torturing Salas as she believes, or if he is an innocent good Samaritan, who ironically has fallen into the wrong house at the wrong time by driving Escobar home one evening. Viewers' constant questioning is carried throughout the play until the closing scene.

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Goldman and her cast have toyed with different endings for the play and used the first weekend run to experiment. Regardless of which scene they choose as their finale, questions are left unanswered, resulting in a powerful, compelling ending that fits with the themes of the play.

Goldman strives for authenticity with use of props and special effects. A real gun was ordered and is shot in the play using blanks. Additionally, the show uses such nice touches as the sounds of cars in unison with headlights.

However, the implementation of these effects is worthy of critique. On multiple nights the tech workers timing has been off, whether with the lighting or prop sound. Despite mistakes, the cast was masterful at overcoming technical difficulties such as a malfunctioning tape recorder with quick improvisation. Livadiotis' ad-libbing was smooth enough that many mistakes were hardly noticeable or quickly forgotten.

One set is used throughout the play. Stucco walls with doorways and shallow dividers represent the rooms of the couple's home where the entire story takes place. The walls are red and blue, and the dividers are white — symbolic as the colors of the Chilean flag. This subtle nuance emphasizes Goldman's thorough nature and skill as a director.

The show is part of a larger effort to raise campus awareness about human rights abuse and transitions to democracy. Thus, in conjunction with the play, multiple educational activities have been planned such as a collection of images in the Intime lobby, guest speakers and the documentary video clips, which are interspersed between scenes of the show and at the beginning of each act. Jane Han '01 was responsible for the editing of those images.

"Death and the Maiden" will continue its run at Theatre~Intime from tonight through Saturday, showing at 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. performance on Saturday. Ticket prices are $10 for the general public and $5 for students. For more information visit www.theatre-intime.org.