Playwright: Simon Stephens. At: Steep Theatre, 1115 W. Berwyn. Phone: 312-458-0722; $20-$22. Runs through Sept. 3
A provocative play about terrorism needs a provocative title, right?
Okay. However, is the titillating title Pornography the right choice for British playwright Simon Stephens' drama centered upon the London bombing attacks of July 7, 2005?
I'm still scratching my head about that one, as I'm sure many other people will be doing after seeing Steep Theatre's well-acted but ultimately unsatisfying Midwest premiere of Pornography.
Perhaps Stephens is trying to point out that violence, be it from religious extremism or obsession, is far more insidious than the depiction of erotic behavior designed primarily to cause sexual excitement. However, maybe he's just trying to be provocateur in general by tackling the subject of terrorism (not always with an apparent through-line) and affixing the incongruous title.
Pornography is structured as a series of monologues and two-person scenes showing Londoners' lives in the seven days leading up to the London bombings when four British Islamic extremists detonated suicide bombs on three underground train lines and a bus. The attacks killed 52 people, and I'm not exactly sure the victims' families and survivors of the bombings will find Pornography in any way a fitting tribute.
For shock value, there's scene featuring a brother and sister reunion that turns incestuous (well played by Walter Briggs and local Stephens veteran Caroline Neff). Plus, Stephens also decides to give one of the bombers his own monologue as he plans his journey from Leeds to London (John Taflan turning up with a Yorkshire accent), but not one for any victims of the bombings.
Pornography (the visual kind) is actually mentioned in a few scenes, incongruously as something downloaded by an 82-year-old malcontent widow (an aged-up Maggie Cain) and by the aforementioned incestuous siblings. Rudy Galvan as an angry teenager stalker lashes out by thinking up a very sexually violent scenario for a girl he is obsessed with: a horrible thought if he actually acts on it.
Rounding the ensemble is a corporate working mother astutely played by Kendra Thulin, Peter Moore and Michael Salinas respectively as an aging professor and his former pupil experiencing some confusing gay tension and an underutilized Blake McKay as a barbequing neighbor.
Director Robin Witt gets good performances from her ensemble and arranges them close-up to various sections of the audience in the round. Video designer Mike Tutaj also contributes visually sobering and disturbing montages on overhead screens.
However, despite all the best efforts of the cast and crew, they're still saddled with Simon's frequently ponderous script. Just why Stephens named his play Pornography and why he chose to link these characters in association with the 7/7/2005 bombings is certainly more muddling than anything truly illuminating.