Fever Dreams - Theaterworks Hartford

Playwright Jeffrey Lieber, who’s show Fever Dreams opens the Theaterworks Hartford season, was a co-creator of the television program Lost.   Like that memorable drama, Fever Dreams is full of suspense, thrills, twists and turns.  And that’s all in Act I.  However, like the latter seasons of Lost, this production, directed with style and intensity by Rob Ruggiero, loses its mojo in Act 2.  The edginess and tension that carefully unfolds in the first half of the show cannot be sustained.  The play, though, even with its less than gripping conclusion, is still compelling and a show worth seeing. 

Lana Young in Fever Dreams.  Photo by Mike Marques.

The three-character play begins on a high note.  Zachary (Doug Savant, best known for TV’s Desperate Housewives and Melrose Place) enters a darkened, rustic cabin – a highly detailed, stunning structure from Scenic Designer Luke Cantarella - to be confronted by a woman, Adele (Lana Young), sitting in the dark pointing a gun at him.  Is it a serious threat or a playful joke?  In rapid succession, we learn they are clandestine lovers – think of a revved up version of Same Time, Next Year – with rendezvouses full of sex and well-kept secrets.  Lieber keeps the audience off-balance, climaxing with the appearance of Adele’s husband Miller (Tim DeKay, best known for TV’s White Collar).  Adele has conveniently, but temporarily, departed before his arrival.  The former best friends spar, argue and then there’s that gun.

Doug Savant in Fever Dreams.  Photo by Mike Marques.

In Act 2, the three characters hurl accusations and continue to scuffle all while one last secret is revealed.  Their symbiotic relationship, unusual as it is, crumbles as, at the end of the show, they move forward with their lives.

The playwright has a great knack for setting up attention-grabbing scenarios.  His characters, all flawed, are interesting and hold our focus.  The subtitle of the show is “of animals on the verge of extinction.”  Lieber utilizes a number of creature metaphors by biologist Adele to augment the plot.  They are thought-provoking, but slightly overused.  Director Ruggiero propels the action forward with straightforwardness and guile.  His work is greatly augmented by Sherrice Mojgani’s subtle, mood-setting Lighting Design and the ominous sounds of Lindsay Jones’ original music and Sound Design.

Tim DeKay in Fever Dreams.  Photo by Mike Marques.

The acting troupe is superb.  Tim DeKay’s Miller is boisterous, fearsome and maybe a touch off-kilter.  The actor, a seasoned film and theater professional, prowls the stage with willful determination and despondency.  Doug Savant’s Zachary is more reactive than instigator for the dramatic ebb and flow of the show.  But he performs the role with passion and resolve that teeters between inquisitory to heartbreak.  Lana Young’s Adele, cloaked in mystery and a steadfast feistiness, is the provocateur among the three protagonists.  She brings both an impish cheekiness and brazen impudence to her character. 

Fever Dreams, playing at Theaterworks Hartford through November 3.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.