BWW Reviews: RIVER RUN

River Run

by Jennifer Fried

When I saw the press release for "River Run, " an adaptation of James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake, I immediately contacted a Joyce fanatic and asked him if he would attend the show with me. I must admit that this type of play is a bit out of my comfort zone. Even if I left confused about what I had just witnessed, I found myself mystified with Olwen Fouéré 's one women performance.

The final page of Finnegan's Wake, when the river Liffey (Life) shouts out and then dissipates into a great abyss of time, served as Fouéré's point of reference. She explored themes such as birth and death, twilight and dawn, as well as the sensual and celestial. Fouéré beautifully captured Joyce's poetic language and sound, perhaps the most enjoyable part of the evening. I must say I didn't quite understand the plot of the play, but I don't know if that necessarily detracted from my enjoyment of the hour-long act. Fouéré's movement, tone and inflection kept me fully fixated upon the stage.

"River Run" is part of BAM's Next Wave Festival. Educated, sophisticated and, dare I say, slightly artistically snobby Brooklyn audiences will certainly enjoy "River Run." However, I would be hesitant to recommend this play to someone without any knowledge of Joyce or interest in oral poetry.

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