NEW YORK—As much an experience as a play, 3-Legged Dog's multi-media production of Fire Island, written by Charles Mee, puts the audience squarely in the action, as well as providing opportunities for a full stomach and a chance to quench one's thirst.
The story, about how unexpected and painful love can be, takes place on the title location, a 32-mile island located in New York's Great South Bay and a popular summer spot for generations of vacationers. The audience is offered the chance to feel a bit of that atmosphere with a pre-show barbeque and coolers of beer and soda sprinkled liberally throughout the performance venue, as well as sitting on cushions and beach chairs in lieu of seats.
Also, there is no stage per se, rather various set pieces that include wooden boardwalks and a beach house deck. The actors are scattered about the spectators so the various stories happen in the midst of those watching.
Over the course of the performance we meet numerous people in different stages of relationships, many of whom are not on the same page in terms of goals, needs and commitment—such as Nikos (David Tirosh), who happily announces his love and honorable intentions to long-time friend Lydia (Catherine Yeager), who is somewhat overwhelmed by the sudden declaration.
Elsewhere, Henry (Victor Weinstock) is trying to get Yvette (Livia de Paolis) to agree to marry him (and have his children), but for the moment he'll settle for the two of them just having a cup of coffee if she is so inclined.
On a much darker note, Wilson (Stephen Payne) is angrily trying to come to terms with the fact that Susan (Tina Alexis Allen) never really loved him in the way he hoped she would. Other plots deal with a trucker and his girlfriend, and a woman trying to move on after the death of her husband.
The stories don't intersect as much as they overlap and co-exist, with the one constant being the setting in which these tales play out. In addition to the live action, the same actors and scenes are shown on the venue walls via film projection, with the filmed continuity often occurring both before and after what's being presented live, so the audience is simultaneously treated to different aspects of the stories that are unfolding.
The point Mee seems to be making is the importance of living in the moment and taking time to enjoy what's right in front of you rather than worrying about the past and the future, neither of which one can really control.
Great credit must go to director Kevin Cunningham for keeping the action continuously moving, almost like an intricate ballet, complete with live band. The camera work and photography, especially the shots of the beach at Fire Island, are all quite lovely; and the costumes by (Nellie Fleischner) and various set pieces (by Allison Keating) also work well.
While there are no standouts among the cast, they all mesh perfectly as an ensemble, offering hints more than backgrounds and actions more than character development as the audience tries to piece together the missing facts about these people. While they may not necessarily be folks you'd want to spend time with, the setting where it all takes place is very inviting.
Also in the live-action cast are Allison Keating, Gautham Prasad, Jenny Lee Mitchell, Jon Okabaysahi, Joshua Koehn, Kate Moran and Kiku Collins.
Please note: the show contains nudity and adult themes and may not be suitable for young children.
Fire Island
Presented by 3-Legged Dog
3LD Art & Technology Center
80 Greenwich Street
Tickets: 212-352-3101 or www.3ldnyc.org
Closes: May 3, 2008
Running time: 90 minutes
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London newspaper The Stage.
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