Theater Review: Dream Awake

by Carol M. Rice

Mark-Brian Sonna has created quite a niche for himself in the Dallas theatre scene. By committing to bring only new plays to the world through his theatre company, MBS Productions, he routinely explores unique topics that others won’t touch.

In Dream Awake, the topic is the modern tragedy of the brutal killing of children, skillfully combined with mythology. I will admit to being less than versed in mythology, but Mr. Sonna is quite adept at bringing those of us in my predicament up to date.

I have worked with Mark-Brian Sonna on a number of occasions, most recently directing him in Shakespeare in Hollywood with Rover Dramawerks and being directed by him in last year’s Theatre of Death at MBS Productions. I thoroughly enjoy his talent and intelligence, and consider him a very good friend and true theatre professional.

An ongoing challenge with the plays Mr. Sonna writes is the need for an editor, a luxury his hectic production calendar rarely allows. Because he is bilingual and spoke Spanish during most of his formative years, some of his sentence structure is awkward and stilted. This is most apparent in Dream Awake at the beginning of the play. The two first scenes come across as very stiff and unrealistic. I realize exposition can often be difficult in a “talking head” piece like this one, but I kept thinking that people don’t really phrase things like that. Fortunately as the play progresses, everyone loosens up and becomes more human.

Mr. Sonna is not only the playwright, but also takes on the role of Dr. Eris, a court appointed psychologist who is assigned to a brutal murder case. This character never leaves the stage, and knowing that he had to step into the role just last week makes his performance even more impressive. While he admits in the program that he took on the part at such short notice, he omits the fact that the role was originally written for and was to be played by a woman. I knew this going in and expected to hear awkward changes in the script but they weren’t there. Not only did the story flow well, but the character was complete. Kudos.

Linda Much takes on the role of the D.A. who assigns Dr. Eris to the case. She plays the battle axe with aplomb and while I would have liked to have seen her costumed more flatteringly, her subtle changes throughout to represent different days were fun. Unfortunately the computer monitor on her desk was in a place that often blocked her from my view when she was seated, but I understand this has been fixed for future performances.

Lindsay Jenkins plays Lamia, the babysitter accused of the brutal murder of two children. The name Lamia is from Greek mythology, and she believes herself to be THE Lamia who once had twins with Zeus but was forced to give them up. This is a tough role because she starts out meek and frightened, goes through several instances of hypnosis, and then shows her true colors. Ms. Jenkins is much more believable in the later scenes of the play and it’s definitely worth the price of admission to see her character’s transformation. Suffice it to say, she is one VERY scary lady!

The three actors work very well together in the ensemble piece under the capable direction of Alejandro de la Costa. My main problem with the show overall is, again, the script. While the concept is fascinating and Mr. Sonna has obviously done a great deal of research to tie the modern murders to the mythology, it felt like there was a scene or two missing.

For example, early on the D.A. describes in graphic detail the way the children were murdered, but this was never brought up again in any of Dr. Eris’ questioning of Lamia. Why? To me, that omission was pretty glaring. In addition, the emotions of everyone are suddenly off the scale after intermission and it’s not completely clear what causes Dr. Eris to go over the edge since he changes so suddenly. The build just wasn’t there, and that also made the end seem very abrupt.

While there are flaws in the script, the production was very well-done and kept me on the edge of my seat. The intimacy of the Stone Cottage only adds to the tension. This is a great thriller, just in time for Halloween. And you don’t even have to brush up on your mythology to enjoy it.

MBS Productions’ Dream Awake runs Wednesdays-Saturdays at the Stone Cottage in Addison through November 1, with special performances on Halloween and Day of the Dead. Purchase tickets online or by calling 214-477-4942.

Carol M. Rice is the Artistic Director of Rover Dramawerks and has worked as an actress, director, and playwright in theatres all over the Metroplex.