Senior Armen Nercessian's worst fears will come to life in Friday's performance of the "The Night Visitor." Or so he says.
The show, written by Nercessian and directed by sophomore Caitlin Johnson, is this semester's major production for student theater group Bare Bodkin. Starring senior Max Dionne, freshman Sam Dupont, and sophomore Chelsea Toder, it will be performed this Friday and Saturday in the Crane Room.
The play itself is an eerie compilation of images that derive their somewhat random and surreal quality from Nercessian's own dreams, or rather nightmares. The writer found inspiration for this rattling piece by examining his own fears as realized through his most vivid imaginings. The result is compelling, as it leaves the audience feeling deeply effected, although somewhat blind-sided, as if awaking from a dream.
"My dreams are a frightening and terrible place," said Nercessian, "filled with fire. They're not a safe place."
Definitely not.
Like the play itself, Nercessian's writing process was unsystematic but effective nonetheless. Inspired by friend and senior Taylor Shann, Nercessian had never intended to write a play and certainly never intended to have it performed. Originally planned as an entry in the NYC Fringe Festival, Nercessian worked under pressure to meet the festival's deadline and wrote the play in under three weeks. Only after finishing did Shann let on that there had been no deadline and it was all a ploy to see Nercessian's potential talent as a playwright come to fruition.
Nercessian then spent another month editing "The Night Visitor" before being convinced by Caitlin Johnson to actually consider performing the piece. And since handing it over to Johnson, Nercessian has had little to do with the play's actual production process.
Nercessian described his apprehension about performing the piece as "those playwright jitters" and decided to let the piece go without any specific intention of how it should affect those watching it. "It's about a lot of different things, but I don't think there's any message."
Well, judging by the play's themes, the audience, and even the script, might argue otherwise. "Visitor" is set in a totalitarian society where the struggle between individuality, community, and duty is apparent. An older couple, Iggy (Dupont) and Mary (Toder), are citizens in this world that is referred to throughout the play as being consumed by darkness.
The play opens with a disconcerting silence that sets the tone and keeps the audience on edge throughout the remainder of the piece. Iggy and Mary are awaiting this night's visitor. There is a sense of urgency, but the audience, and sometimes the characters themselves, aren't sure exactly what they're waiting for. It is clear from the outset that something in this dreamlike world is amiss, though no one is quite sure what it is.
When the visitor, Curdy (Dionne), does arrive, the audience's confusion is played out within the script. Iggy asks a disgruntled and frazzled Curdy "Do you understand?"
"No," is the response.
"You will."
So goes the mood as random outbursts of emotion and drastic change within each character constantly disconcert the viewer and reset the play's tone and direction. The audience is never sure which character is good or bad or what ideology each represents in the play. And this makes sense, as each character is intimately linked to the others.
"There are a lot of stories in the show," said Johnson. "But they needn't be about separate people"
Dionne reiterated this: "The point is not specificity of time or place. It's that overwhelming feeling of loneliness."
In many ways, as Nercessian may or may not have intended, "The Night Visitor" leaves the audience very affected, though not by any particular point or aspect of the production. Reflecting its source material, the show is like having a very powerful dream, one whose contents may be forgotten but not the feeling it evokes upon waking.
