'Skin' is strange, surrealistic

I don't know if one can ever have a "normal" theater experience, or if such a thing even exists, but if you go to "The Skin of Our Teeth," you certainly will not have it. In fact, this production, directed by Shannon Clair '09, is probably one of the strangest plays you will ever see. And that's not necessarily a good thing.

"The Skin of Our Teeth," written by Thorton Wilder in 1942, is a surrealistic portrayal of America and its culture. The nonlinear plot revolves around the Antrobus family. Mr. and Mrs. Antrobus are archetypal parents: Mr. Antrobus (played by Shawn Fennell '09) is gruff and overbearing one moment, then jolly and sensitive the next, and Mrs. Antrobus (played by Ashley Johnson '08) is a stately, overprotective mother. They have two children, Gladys, the sugary-sweet daughter (played by Nushelle De Silva '11) and a rebellious son named Henry (played by Gregor Schubert '11), also known as Cain. We learn that the Antrobuses lost their third and favorite son, Abel, when Henry threw a stone at him and killed him. And lastly, there is the Antrobuses' maid, Sabina, (played by Heather May '10), who frequently interrupts the flow of the play to give the audience her own commentary on the production.

The first act of the show takes place during the Ice Age, the second act in Atlantic City right before the end of the world and the third act at the end of a war that had been going on for seven years. There is no connection between any of the acts, and while the Antrobus family remains intact throughout the play, it is flung into these drastically different environments with no explanation.

"Here is a play that makes us consider ourselves and the world and choices we make without taking itself too seriously or hitting us over the head with significance," Clair writes in her director's notes. "It appeals to our emotions, asks us for laughter and leaves us with more questions than answers." I find, however, no comfort in the play's refusal to answer the questions it raises. The blatant disregard of coherence and significance is frustrating and unrewarding. After "The Skin of Our Teeth," I left the theater feeling confused and apathetic.

Unfortunately, the production doesn't save the weak script. Each of the three leads — Fennell, Johnson and May — gives a valiant performance, but they are so heavily weighed down by the text itself that they never reach their full potential. The other actors in the show are also unable to rise above the text; the overwhelmingly ridiculous lines drown their performances.

Set, lighting and sound are minimal, as is the norm with Intime shows. During a few of the scenes, however, the lighting is so low that it is difficult to make out the actors' faces, making the play even more difficult to comprehend.

"The Skin of Our Teeth" is at best bizarre, at worst intensely frustrating. If you like art that defies and pokes fun at convention and refuses to conform to the constraints of reality, then "The Skin of Our Teeth" may be just the play for you.