Playwright Haidle '01 debuts star-studded show

Two years after he graduated from Princeton in 2001, Noah Haidle's girlfriend at Julliard told him, off the cuff, of her desire to wear a tutu in a play.

The glossy and star-headlined play that makes its off-Broadway debut this Sunday at the Laura Pels Theatre on 46th Street in New York is the ultimate result of that whimsical comment.

The play, "Mr. Marmalade," is basically the story of a four-year-old girl (who is precocious beyond words) and her imaginary friend, a businessman who works twenty hours a day and frustrates her with his continual absence. It is a definitively new slant on the old story of the overworked husband and a fanciful twirl through the mind of a girl constantly left alone with her imagination. The play presents a story of a broken family, but of friendship as well. It could be construed as a critique of modern life, but also taken as a vessel for life lessons. It is fundamentally surreal, yet at times unnervingly graphic. It Noah Haidle's hope that, given every aspect of his complex and rather abstract work, in watching the show "[the audience] can have whatever experience they want to have."

Haidle describes his works as "non-naturalistic but emotionally grounded," a perfect description for this often perplexing and ultimately astounding piece. Unfortunately, this description also reflects the occasional inaccessibility of the show. Haidle's recreation of the world of a four-year-old is often unbelievable. The jokes concerning Lucy's unusual perspicacity, such as when she cries to Mr. Marmalade, "Why don't you touch me anymore?!" or when he drops a briefcase of pornography and sex toys in front of her, can seem bizarre and inexplicable, causing an impatient viewer to simply give up.

Above the door to the Laura Pels Theatre should hang a sign that reads "Suspend Disbelief," a disclaimer that would indicate what this play is really all about. For example, a real four-year-old could never comprehend Lucy's dialogue, which includes topics such as a woman's right to choose, healthcare and corporate benefits packages. Suspending disbelief keeps the play's jokes fresh and its meaning potent. Haidle plays on the concept of the unreal both on and off the stage. Essentially, it doesn't matter what is believable and what is unbelievable; there is importance to all of it.

In bringing these scenes to life, some the cast members skitter at the edge of amateur, though many performances are absolutely stunning. Most notable is Michael C. Hall, of "Six Feet Under" fame, in the role of Mr. Marmalade. The same tenderness and startling talent that drew millions of viewers in the show's five-season run shines through in his portrayal of this multifaceted character. He is altogether captivating.

While Virginia Louise Smith's portrayal of the negligent babysitter falls a little flat, her embodiment of Lucy's mother Sookie is so poignant and acidic that she makes you shudder each time she leaves the stage, always berating her daughter. The character of Lucy is played by Mamie Gummer (Meryl Streep's daughter), and she plays it safe. Her representation of the four-year-old is not necessarily original, but serves its purpose well enough. Pablo Schreiber (Liev's brother) plays Larry, a suicidal five-year-old who becomes Lucy's one real friend. It is difficult to read Schreiber's performance, as he seems undecided on what specific traits to give his character. This muddles his performance, making the onstage relationship between Larry and Lucy slightly awkward.

Haidle's creative innovation shines through every scene, though. The play, set entirely in a living room in New Jersey, bursts with color and meaning. The set is bare bones with some delicious tricks. Haidle cleverly incorporates scene changes as acts are still in progress, and makes excellent use of the space — especially in the last scene, when he opens up a layer behind the heart of the stage, providing it with a remarkably dramatic contrast. Time is suspended to make one night of Lucy's mother's absence long enough for her to go through relationships with two boyfriends (one imaginary, one real), break up with each at least once, deal with the domestic abuse of a friend, confront her boyfriend about his drug abuse, allow him back after he has gone through rehab, kick an imaginary cactus and sunflower out of the house because they have made a mess of it, and inevitably grapple with the death of a loved one.

After many years of effort (including making himself read a play a day in high school) and quiet self-doubt, Haidle has created a wonderful expression of his abstract and violent thinking in "Mr. Marmalade."

Another play written by Haidle, "A Long History of Neglect," is running at the Berlind Theater this weekend. "Mr. Marmalade" opens at the Laura Pels Theatre (Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre; 111 West 46 Street) on Nov. 20 and will play Tuesday through Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. with Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. until Jan. 29, 2006.

By the way: Lucy does always wear a tutu, except when she attends romantic dinners.