Calvin Theatre Company gets ‘physical’

By Kirk Heynen
Guest Writer

Calvin Theater Company consistently produces plays designed to confuse, to offend, to stimulate, and to challenge audiences, and The Physicists is no exception. A dark and twisting mystery by German playwright Friedrich Durenmatt, The Physicists will keep you guessing from start to finish. The play takes place in a special ward of a mental institution where three somewhat disturbed physicists reside. One claims to be Isaac Newton (Terry Schoone-Jongen), one Albert Einstein (Nick Rogers), and the other a secret genius named Mobius (Jarod Van Alstyne). While the reality of their identities remains to be determined, one striking similarity does exist between them: They have each recently murdered a nurse. As a way to entice the audience, a dead body is lying on the stage before anyone even takes their seat. In the first act, we are introduced, very slowly, to the strange cast of characters who interact on Dr. Van Sant’s (Rena Hamstra) ward.

photo courtesy Jan Hennink/CAS Inspector Voss (David Zeyl ) questions Sir Isaac Newton (Terry Schoone-Jongen) in “The Physicists.”

She is the head doctor at the institution and she runs a very eerie and isolated little ward for her physicists. She is apparently the only person who really understands their conditions and their needs. The state homicide inspector is confused and a little ticked off at the whole situation. The audience will probably feel the same way for awhile until they can figure out what’s going on. We soon meet Isaac Newton, who thankfully lightens the tone a bit with his entertaining mannerisms. He seems wholly unconcerned with the dead body lying outside his door, but he is especially pleased to have a visitor.

Einstein spends most of the first act in his room playing the fiddle, and occasionally pops in for a humorous comment between naps. This is quite confounding for the Inspector, since Einstein is presumed to have committed a murder only a couple of hours earlier. Dr. Van Sant coaxes the reclusive Mobius out of his cocoon so he can bid his peculiar-looking family a final, bitter farewell. After some serious pontificating, Mobius proceeds to murder another nurse. Don’t fret that this information has now ruined the play for you. It hasn’t. The second act is where things really start to get interesting. This play is not a murder mystery at all; it is much more mysterious than that. Consider it a personal challenge during the intermission to try to figure out what happens in the second half. You won’t.

The plot starts twisting like a sinister serpent, and just when you think the ride is over, it takes you all the way around again. It feels like Kaiser Sose could stroll in at any moment. The Physicists is much more than cheap thrills, however. This play makes you think. It deals with issues such as the value of human life, the danger of science, the power of personal sacrifice, the threat of capitalism, the distinction between reality and insanity, and the necessity of truth and identity. It also has a strange obsession with King Solomon that must be symbolic of something. And if that isn’t enough, you can come just to taunt the girl who has to lay on the stage pretending to be dead through the whole intermission.

The play, including a fifteen-minute intermission, lasts two and a half hours. It features a beautiful and elaborate set, plus some stellar acting performances by a powerful and experienced cast (not the least of which are the talented actors playing dead bodies). You won’t want to miss the outfit on Isaac Newton, either. The Physicists is currently playing in Calvin’s Gezon Theater, and will run November 5-7, and 12-14 at 8:00. Seating is reserved and tickets for students are $5.50 - 6.50. One of music’s best kept secrets is coming to Calvin on Saturday, Oct. 31, and you won’t want to miss it. Chances are, you’ve either never heard of Grant Lee Buffalo (GLB), or you’re not very familiar with the band. Maybe you heard “Truly, Truly” this summer on the radio.

GLB has been highly praised by musicians such as Michael Stipe of REM and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, whom they have toured with. Stipe referred to GLB’s first album, “Fuzzy,” as the best album of 1993. Since then they have released three more albums: “Mighty Joe Moon” in 1994, “Copperopolis” in 1996, and their latest, “Jubilee” in 1998.