Written by Mike Martin

UCI’s recent production of Woyzeck (continuing through next weekend) is a clash of styles and themes. To truly give the show the critique it deserves it is important to note that the play Woyzeck does not exist in any whole form. The author Georg Büchner, died before finishing his final work and it was subsequently finished posthumously by a variety of authors to varying effect. As such, no two productions tend to be the same. The scenes may be flip-flopped, deleted, or expounded upon by anyone with an urge to add a translation credit to their resume. One thing though, does seem to remain constant. Woyzeck is, at its heart, a story of class struggle and the de-humanization the poor suffer at the hands of the establishment.

Or it usually is…

This production hits those notes as well, but Director Andrew Borba and Dramaturge Katie Turner also seemed to be enamored with the idea of shoehorning every social injustice into the show. From race, to sex, to class… It’s all there. Don’t take my word for it. The production spends six pages of program letting you know all of this before a single word is spoken. Of course, I applaud any efforts to find new meaning in a show, but this wild focus makes a bit of a hash out of what is normally a fairly simple plot. Instead of a gradual wearing down of Woyzeck by the military and medical establishments, so many themes are being floated at us that his downfall is perceived as more of a mental break than the slow and dehumanizing machinations of society. It seems more an accident of fate rather than a deliberate experiment.

Indeed, there were moments when I consciously wished the Dramaturge had spent more time on the original subtext. This production features some performances that almost seem adrift and unable to anchor themselves to a story. The end result is often an increase in volume, to mask the confusion. This is a tough show without the extra work on either the audiences or the actors’ part. At times some lines were delivered in such a righteous protestation (and against such a surreal backdrop) that the “German-ness” of the show became a bit much… as if Mike Myers and the Sprockets dancers were about to come mincing out.

The same cannot be said of Blake Morris, who plays the titular Woyzeck. Morris gives a powerful performance that is as physical and exhausting to watch as it is moving. Not to spoil the end, but when Woyzeck finally gets his rest, we all feel as though we need some sleep. Morris has obviously made his peace with the convoluted themes he has been saddled with, and he navigates that treacherous territory with an ease and energy that are truly worth every penny of admission.

As I hinted before, the show takes itself very seriously. This is apparent in the design elements of the show as well. Often stark and effective, but occasionally veering into unintentional camp. While some aspects of the costuming are provocative, they can be a bit on the nose. And when the lights, sound, and set exist within the realm of the play rather than for their own sake (and this is mostly the case), they create some stunning pictures. In all, my hope for Woyzeck is that it finds the same coherent voice as its main character in its final weekend. Lots of good things are floating around on this stage, just waiting to be harnessed. If that happens, Woyzeck will get his due.

March 5 – 13 2016

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