By Michael Buzzelli
At the start of Annie Baker’s “Infinite Life,” Sofi (Tami Dixon) is on a sun deck, in a lounge chair, reading George Eliot’s “Daniel Deronda.” When Eileen (Cary Anne Spear) goes out to catch some rays, she asks Sofi, “How’s the book?”
Sofi replies, “It’s good. It’s weird. It’s both.”
That’s Annie Baker peeking out from behind the script, letting you know that we’re in for a bit of weirdness right off the proverbial bat. That’s so meta!
Sofi, Eileen, Yvette (Sheila McKenna), Elaine (Karla C. Payne), and Ginnie (Helena Ruoti) are attending a sort of clinic (health spa, wellness center, starvation dungeon) where everyone is fasting. Some guests are restricted to water; others are allowed to have juice.
Everyone is there to treat their individual illnesses. The characters take a deep dive into their chronic pain. Fibromyalgia, cancer, a litany of medical conditions (eat dinner BEFORE the show).
After a few days, the women get a groove going. They begin to bond, when Nelson (Michael Tisdale) shows up. He’s attractive and around Sofi’s age (the other women are, as Sofi puts it “not much older than me”). Nelson’s mere presence sets off a disturbance in the “Force.”
The women have some lively discussions. Imagine a more intellectual “Golden Girls” getting deeper without the cheesecake (or any food). Sure, there’s sex talk, but there’s also a chat about CMBR (Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation), and a parable from the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh.
Secrets spill out. Sofi tries to find pleasure through the pain (euphemism alert).
Baker’s play is performed incredibly by the stacked cast (local theater legends). Tisdale’s character’s appearance is a shock on several levels. He’s the only newcomer to the barebones stage.
Dixon’s performance is courageous. Her Sofi is deeply flawed, vulnerable, and pulsating with anger and regret.
Spear plays another layered character, but Eileen is used sparingly. She is the moral center of the play, exuding love and kindness.
Each of the other characters get a literal and figurative moment in the sun. Every line carries a tremendous weight when delivered by this all-star cast.
Side note: While it happens in real life having an Elaine and Eileen is confusing, especially when the characters don’t refer to each other by name very often. Luckily, the two actors are very distinct.
Tisdale’s role is small but meaningful. He is full of charisma. He delivers the most horrifying speech with clinical precision (the functions of the human body are discussed throughout the play, if you’re squeamish, it’s best to cover your ears when his character discusses his colon issues).
It’s always ironic when a theater company calling itself barebones enlists the aid of Scenic Designer Tony Ferrieri. There is an elaborate motel style concrete lattice and properly placed lounge chairs.
Lighting Designer Andrew David Ostrowski orchestrates the lighting as the show slips from day into night and back again. The soft morning light is so realistic, you’ll want a cup of coffee every time it’s a new day on the stage.
The director, founder and artistic director Patrick Jordan knows how to create drama in moments writ small and large. While “Infinite Life” seems like an odd choice for the theater, he does a tremendous job with the material. He certainly couldn’t have chosen a better cast.
The show has long transitions between scenes because the actors stay in character when they shuffle on and off the stage. It’s the only lag time in the tight 100-minute show.
Baker’s script does emphasize on the weird. It’s hard to find the meaning “Infinite Life,” but there’s a point where Sofi and Nelson argue about comparable pain. Nelson claims his pain is worse, and Sofi challenges that notion. “How could you know?!?” It’s one of the most dramatic sections of the play because the characters finally have a real conflict. Like a Greek Tragedy, most of the other conflicts happen off stage.
It’s hard to watch people suffer, and the show isn’t for everyone, but there is an exquisite beauty in finding the moments of joy in the pain. It’s a grand metaphor for the nature of life in “Infinite Life.”
-MB
“Infinite Life” runs until March 22 at the Bingo O’Malley Stage, barebones, 1211 Braddock Avenue, Braddock, PA 15104. For tickets and additional information, click here.
