An adaptation of the critically acclaimed play, “Attempts on Her Life,” by British playwright Martin Crimp will be opening this week at the Available Light Theatre.
The play is directed by Matt Slaybaugh, a teacher at Columbus College of Art and Design. Three years ago Slaybaugh developed a survey on the blog, Theatreforte, about what plays people should see in order to understand the current trends in theater. He said that Crimp’s play was the most frequently named play that he “never heard of.”
The production is based upon third-person interpretations of the character, Anne, he said. Some adaptations of the play construct it so that you never see the woman, but Slaybaugh says his version doesn’t necessarily work that way.
“I do think it’s meant to ask questions about the ways we construct our versions of other people, and the fact that we’ll only ever know other people as translations of their inner worlds,” he said in an e-mail.
In a time where social media is prominent, Slaybaugh said that we often construct ideas about people we barely know.
In different versions of the play, Anne is described by characters as a terrorist, suicide or murder victim, a racist, a betrayed wife, a pornography star, and a self-destructive artist, among other things.
Slaybaugh describes the play as a “classic of postmodern drama.” He said the 17 scenes in the play will affect the audience in “disparate ways.”
“Some of them are upsetting, some of them are ridiculous, some of them are dramatic. Everyone will find something to love and something to challenge them,” he said about the scenes.
Some critics have said that Crimp’s play is fragmented. Slaybaugh believes this fragmentation is symbolic of modern life and relationships.
He has been working with a team of 17 people to put the production together, and seven of those people are actors. The characters in the production are unnamed and often in unnamed locations. Slaybaugh said that at times it was a struggle for the actors to get in touch with their characters’ identities.
“We spent a lot of time figuring out who’s doing the talking and why,” he said. “The author gives you lots of information about the mystery woman, Anne, but not much about the people you actually see on stage.”
Music plays an important role in the play. It is involved in a number of scenes throughout the play, and Slaybaugh said a few songs were written specifically for the production.
“Music in our shows always helps to enhance the story by reinforcing the subtle elements of the scene or even by contradicting what may seem most obvious about the play,” Slaybaugh said.
He said his team has been working on the design and music for the production for months, but rehearsals just started in March. Slaybaugh recommends this play for mature audiences.
The production’s opening night was yesterday and it will continue on through May 22. Every show will be at the Columbus Performing Arts Center and tickets can be purchased at avltheatre.com.
