Production Workshop's "The Great Work" is impressive - both as a theatrical production and as a student-written play.
An original play by Molly Lambert '05, "The Great Work" follows the lives of five quirky and troubled youths who spend endless hours together in a pool house without adult supervision. Gracie, whose parents have abandoned her for Hawaii, struggles with grief over her aunt's death. Morris's parents plan to ship him off to Utah in a week after he's arrested for underage drinking. Olive thinks she may be pregnant. Tranq tries to battle clinical depression by taking up alchemy as a hobby. And Queenie's just along for the ride.
Lambert excels at the in-joke banter that bounces between her characters, but that's not to say "The Great Work" is without its profound undertones. In her writing, Lambert strikes a perfectly humorous chord - without the off-beat brand of humor infused into every scene, this show would play very much like a melodramatic after-school special.
At first the play presents itself as a realistic day in the life of troubled teens, striking a tone not unlike the film "Garden State." But Tranq's poolside alchemical quest to unlock the universe becomes an eccentrically appropriate metaphor and supernatural experience for all the characters, and this gives the story an unusual twist.
Lizzie Vieh '07 as Gracie handles a range of performances well. She is snide and sarcastic one moment but hysterical and on the verge of tears the next, and it's all believable. And Max Silvestri '05 as Morris is simply hilarious.
Both the two actors and the two characters they play have a lot of chemistry together - the audience instantly gets the sense that there's a lot of personal history behind their interactions. This is made apparent at the start of the play, but unfortunately, Lambert does not cash in on this potential in any satisfying way.
Lighting designer Elisabeth Reinkordt '05 produces possibly the best lighting that has been cast upon PW's stage. Spotlights combine with a misty haze to create the authentic yet slightly surreal atmosphere the play calls for. And set designer Spencer Collins '05 actually constructs a pool out of linoleum tiles.
Director Brian Faas '05 sets a rich and vibrant scene, always giving his actors interesting movements and blocking. The actors fall in frame very well, almost cinematically - to the point of making one wonder just how influenced by "Garden State" this show really is.
