Outsider artist Henry Darger is something of a Chicago favorite, and his life story reads like a how-to for tragic artist-types, right from his brief institutionalization through his life-long janitorial job. It was at night that Darger wrote and illustrated what would become the longest piece of fiction ever written: the 15,000-page-plus, fantasy-inspired manuscript "The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion." Throughout the book, the Vivian Girls—adolescent girls that Darger cut out of the newspapers—along with other magical creatures, fight against boy soldiers. It's a perpetual struggle between these two parties; interspersed throughout, too, are glimpses of Darger's devout Catholic background.
Considering that Darger has already become a stand-by at Intuit Outsider Art Gallery and had a documentary made about him called "The Realms of the Unreal," a live play as the next step makes complete sense. But with so much material, it's daunting to even consider creating an 80-minute play.
Devon de Mayo's experimental theatre piece does what it can with the loads of imagery and text. He takes characters and places from the book and stages them throughout various rooms inside the Theatre on the Lake. At certain points in the mostly non-linear play, it's hard to follow who is what and why things are happening where they are. And the only time viewers have to actually sit down and listen to what someone's saying—instead of roaming about the multiple rooms—is at the very beginning, when a nun explains a bit about Darger's life and work. But after that, it's up to the audience member—who must wear a Vivian Girl mask—to discover the action. At times this format works well, forcing the viewer to continue learning about the strange world of Darger. But with this excessive space, at times this play meanders just as much as the confused viewers. And it's a shame that not as much action happens in the most visually engaging room, one that's covered floor-to-ceiling in newspaper. But if there's one thing this play does well, it's to fuse theatre with the visual arts in a refreshingly creative fashion.
Reviewed by Centerstage!
