A memorable Goat

I've been asked to write a "best of" article about 2005 theater for a local magazine. This has gotten me thinking about productions I've seen this year. There has been a lot of great theater this year in Los Angeles, some of which I missed, unfortunately, but one production really stands out in my memory: The Taper's winter production of Edward Albee's The Goat: or, Who is Sylvia?

I knew the basic premise of the play going in, but I was not prepared for the power of the production or the play. Brian Kerwin (pictured here) played Martin, an architect at the top of his game who, as he turns 50, is the youngest man to receive the treasured Pritzker Prize. But all is not well in Martin's home, despite a longterm, seemingly happy marriage with his only true love, his wife Stevie.

The problem is Martin has fallen in love. With a goat. A goat named Sylvia.

At the top of the show he is trying to figure out how to tell his wife. Instead, he confides in his best friend, Ross, who ends up spilling the bestial beans to Stevie. Then all hell breaks loose. Throw a gay teenage son into the mix, and Albee has given himself ample opportunities to raise all kinds of interesting questions about passion, attraction, betrayal and hurt.

What made this fable-like premise work for me were the performances of Kerwin and Cynthia Mace (Stevie). They were so committed to the reality of the situation that it was sometimes difficult to watch them. Her pain was so real (and therefore hilarious) and he was genuinely conflicted about loving this goat. He really did want his wife to understand. Which of course is preposterous on its face, but quite moving when played with conviction and honesty. Kerwin and Mace were masterful and I genuinely believed they had been married for 20+ years.

The whole thing eventually heads into Greek tragedy territory, but comes back down to earth for a messy, human ending. I left the theater asking all kinds of questions. Obviously Albee raises questions about "acceptable" love. But there are more universal issues in The Goat. How much pain do we have the right to inflict on those we love? What would happen if we acted on every passionate impulse? Would that be so bad?

Now in his late 70s, Albee is a clever cat who can still surprise us, shock us, and move us. He's been showing us how dysfunctional we are for more than 40 years. And as I look back on 2005, his Goat is a dramatic highlight.