Quark Theatre prides itself on producing thought-provoking, even challenging theater, for both actors and audiences. Thom Pain (based on nothing) fits that bill, but, as is often the case with art, this only serves to make the experience more worthwhile.
Thom Pain is a one-man show, in this case performed, produced, and directed by Tony Isbell — “a show that’s challenging to describe in a single sentence or two,” Isbell says. In modern lingo, the show feels like your friend leaving a stream-of-consciousness crisis on a 75-minute voice memo. Isbell describes it as “a man alone on stage telling some stories, getting distracted, apparently talking about his own life … Or is he? Maybe he’s talking about somebody else. Maybe he’s talking about you, the audience. Or maybe he’s talking about every human who’s ever lived.”
Thom Pain breaks the fourth wall immediately, which isn’t so unique. But it does feel, and I credit this to Isbell’s performance, as though Thom is talking directly to this audience, our audience, in that specific room at that specific time. This feeling of intimacy isn’t so easy to accomplish with a script that doesn’t allow improvisational wiggle room, but Isbell pulls it off. The show plays with the elements of live performance intentionally. You’re wondering, “Was a line just dropped?” or “Did he just repeat himself?” By the end, this has become an expected layer of the performance, and one that works.
When the accoutrements of theater get pared down, it can be easier to see the different aspects of stagecraft more clearly. The lighting changes are more noticeable when there’s not really a set to speak of. The intentionality of costuming choices is thrown into sharp relief when only one costume on one performer is at play. Thom Pain wears a tie pin, but his tie is loosened. This communicates something, though it might strike a different chord with each audience member.
My partner remarked afterward that it seemed to be about regret. This took me aback, but after thinking about it, I can see that analysis working. This is a production that could be up for interpretation, which is part of what makes it interesting. Isbell says something similar about Quark. “We want to produce work that will not only reach people on an emotional level, but also will leave them with ideas to think about, to ponder in the days or even weeks after they’ve seen the show. I have been approached by people after many of our shows who told me that they continue to think about them for days or weeks after they’ve seen it. And that’s very rewarding. That’s exactly what we’re hoping to do.”
This show is, to me, about what it feels like to be living the human experience. It’s non-linear and, at times, jaded, even bleak. But it’s not without humor. According to Isbell, “This show is funnier than you might expect. Sometimes in absurd ways, sometimes in silly, jokey kinds of ways. But it’s also serious and poignant and thoughtful and optimistic, ultimately.”
Comedic relief is another element that is singularly difficult to land, especially performing solo. Manipulating the tone of a room to a deeply emotional place and then bringing it back up again with a laugh is not easily done, but this play, and Isbell as its lone performer, does it over and over.
A one-person performance might not have the glitz and glamour of a musical or farce, but this form of theater cannot be described as lacking, despite all that.
Thom Pain (based on nothing) runs at the Evergreen Theatre through October 25th.
