Playwright: Luigi Pirandello, translated by Nina daVinci Nichols. At: Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland Ave. Tickets: $20-25; 773-384-0494 or TrapdoorTheatre.com . Runs through: Oct. 27
"Tell the truth, but tell it slant," poet Emily Dickinson urged. The saying has become a universal literary device, and a good starting point for Luigi Pirandello's Naked, a play that explores one woman's various versions of the truth. Like the secretive governess Ersilia Drei, and like Naked itself, Trap Door Theatre's production bears a lot of truth. Unfortunately, the production possesses so much slant that it's extraordinarily uneven.
Pirandello's anti-heroine ( played by a luminous Tiffany Bedwell ) is a survivor. Forever at the mercy of men, she's committed an act of egregious proportionsor has she, really? A protagonist like Ersilia, young and desperate but certainly not naive, was certainly unusual for 1922, but both Pirandello and translator Nina daVinci Nichols give her the intelligence and nuance she deserves. A couple of moments are especially relevant in the "me too" era, though playwright and translator don't condone predatory behavior but merely illustrate it as a sad truth of both then and now. In turn, director Kay Martinovich has clearly put in the time with the script and actress Bedwell to ensure no facet of Ersilia goes unseen, whether she's meekly contending with an ambitious older writer ( Bob Wilson ) or fighting off the advances of her former lover ( Ambrose Cappuccio ).
The problem is, Ersilia's not the only character in the play. Far from it: She's offstage for long portions, during which the other characters analyze her motives and gossip about her effect on the men around her. Martinovich seems to have conveniently forgotten about the rest of her casta shame since, typical of Trap Door Theatre, they're a talented bunch. If Martinovich had spent more time vocal coaching, actors like Cappuccio wouldn't spend the entire 100 minutes shouting in a very small space and taking the audience completely out of the moment. for example.
Martinovich handles Naked's quiet, dramatic moments much better: Ersilia's final monologue, revealing her true vulnerability in the face of horrible tragedy, is especially haunting. The issue is, Pirandello infuses his drama with a healthy dose of dark, absurdist comedy. Martinovich can't handle these oddly funny moments, choosing to direct them like a 1980s sitcom. At times, I felt like I was watching two different plays, and both the truthand its many slantswere completely lost.
Set designer Nick Schwartz has a better grasp on Pirandello's oddities. The back wall of the boardinghouse room is noticeably crooked, and the bright turquoise windows open, shut and flap according to each character's moods and whims. Combined with David Goodman-Edberg's lighting and Rachel Sypniewski's costumes, Naked has the look of a sepia-toned What's Wrong With this Picture? Everything is pretty but something is always slightly off. With a little bit of imagination, even the floor seems tilted.
Naked's production values and Bedwell's dynamic lead performance reflect what might have been. A more coherent directorial vision would have cast a harsh light on the truthwhether Ersilia's or the other characters'and the slant.