Review: FREUD'S LAST SESSION: Believe It Or Not

Freud's Last Session

Written by Mark St. Germain, Suggested by The Question of God by Dr. Armand M. Nicholi, Jr.; Directed by Jim Petosa; Scenic Designer, Cristina Tedesco; Costume Designer, Molly Trainer; Lighting Designer, Scott Pinkney; Sound Designer, David Remedies; Stage Manager, Leslie Sears

CAST (in alphabetical order): Shelley Bolman, Joel Colodner

Performances through May 22 at New Repertory Theatre, Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA; Box Office 617-923-8487 or www.newrep.org

If you've watched any of the verbal slugfests during the course of the 2016 presidential primary season, you may not know that a debate is a formal discussion on a particular topic in which opposing arguments are put forward, or formally presenting an argument in a disciplined manner. Thanks to New Repertory Theatre and playwright Mark St. Germain, you have the opportunity to witness a pair of skillful debaters onstage in Freud's Last Session, an imagined meeting of two of the 20th century's greatest academics. Suggested by The Question of God by Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Armand M. Nicholi, Jr., the play pits fervent atheist Dr. Sigmund Freud against scholar and author C.S. Lewis, a former atheist whose epiphany allowed him to embrace Christianity. Their wide-ranging discussion covers many important topics, but it all comes down to the question of God's existence.

New Rep Artistic Director Jim Petosa deftly directs the season-ending play featuring Joel Colodner as Freud and Shelley Bolman as Lewis. Set in Freud's study in London on September 3, 1939, the impending war with Nazi Germany looms over their meeting like the Hindenburg, infusing their conversation with an urgency that implies they could actually answer the question with certainty, once and for all. Although they know that it is impossible, both men take the matter seriously and offer thoughtful, as well as thought-provoking, arguments. Very little happens in the play, yet it appeals on a cerebral plane, much like observing a chess master or golf pro in action. Likewise, the two skilled, veteran actors don the personae as easily as they wear costume designer Molly Trainer's suits.

As the younger of the two men, Lewis (age 40) is continually honing his beliefs and seeking ways to prove them. Bolman plays him fairly close to the sweater vest, respecting his elder, despite the fact that he has skewered the analyst in a recent book. He is well-mannered, acting appropriately as a guest in Freud's home, but willing to ardently argue his side of the question. Bolman gradually gives us a window into his heart and soul when he opens up about his father, his experiences in the last war, and his unusual living arrangements. However, his most striking moments are during and after an air raid siren, and when he must jump into action to assist Freud during a medical crisis. Bolman demonstrates Lewis' ability to act on instinct, to feel the fear and do it anyway.

Freud (age 83) suffers from mouth cancer and, although he may not yet know the end date, is weeks away from death. Colodner walks a line that has Freud as an impatient, demanding curmudgeon on one side, and a teacher and excited seeker of knowledge on the other. His characterization takes on another layer as he deals with the physical discomfort of a prosthesis in his mouth, an aggravating factor that informs his behavior and attitude most of the time. He also has several coughing jags that are disquietingly realistic, conveying just how serious Freud's condition had become and making a case for his desire to take his own life before the cancer finished him off.

The core of Freud's Last Session is serious, but St. Germain makes effective use of humor, especially when the conversation comes around to sex and Freud's penchant for analyzing everything Lewis says. As far apart as the two men are on the subject of God, they agree on specific points and share common ground on the issue of detesting their fathers. The actors portray them as uber intelligent men, each respecting the other for his mind, and we come to wish that we had more time to listen to them. So much of what they have to say about religion, love, God, and the meaning of life remains relevant for today's world. One wonders if their voices would be heard above the din.

Photo credit: Andrew Brilliant/Brilliant Pictures (Shelley Bolman, Joel Colodner)

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