Review: THINGS MISSING/MISSED Gets Abstract at Obsidian Theater

THINGS MISSING/MISSED is a devised work which is to say there was no script in the beginning, but rather a stated jumping off point for Melissa Flower and Philip Hays to improvise around. It centers on two interwoven storylines. The first is about a mysterious figure based on fact, a Maine man who dropped out of society and lived on what he could basically steal from people in secret. He was a hermit who left the world behind. The second narrative offers juxtaposition to this in a young couple who are having communication breakdowns in their relationship. They are together, but still hopelessly alone. Meanwhile the mysterious hermit steals their things and makes them think they are going crazy. Philip plays the hermit and the man in the couple, while Melissa takes on only the woman. Justin Locklear helped them curate the show and shape what ultimately came out of their exercises. The two ideas merge to explore loneliness whether self-inflicted or from the company of someone else.

Obsidian Theater is a space who states they are committed to staging "new challenging works", and this abstract piece certainly fits that bill. The actors run around with flashlights, break out into song once in awhile, and even recreate the climactic dance sequence from DIRTY DANCING with their fingers and later with umbrellas. It is absurd but strangely moving for most of the hour long runtime. Philip and Melissa are engaging enough to keep us entertained even when I felt like I was watching actors play games they never invited me to join.

I was reminded of the filmic ramblings of David Lynch or the crude colorful portraits of Henri Matisse, both of whom never feared the ugly or annoying aspects of beauty in art. Conversations can be hard to follow, and we're never quite sure what is happening with our couple or our hermit. We're just observing them as they try to fill in the gaps in their lives with items and words. Both actors have great control of their movements and voice. Philip has a background with classical theatre and Melissa has studied in Japan with Tadashi Suzuki. Together they are evenly matched when set adrift in a sea of only words and motion without traditional narrative or sense of place. The set is as sparse as the conversations with only a few strategically placed spools and a tree made from newspapers.

I saw the show with a small audience who seemed very engaged and intensely in tune with what was happening in front of them. If you're fan of experimental theatre then this should be on your "must see" list. If you're looking for something more traditional, the lack of linear plot or normal conversation may frustrate you. I imagine most people will find this work does both to them - amuses and abuses. But it's certainly one of those experiences you don't get an opportunity to see often. Oddly enough most theatres show plays with scripts and plots, and avoid poetic abstractions like this. These guys seem to have a passion for something new, and that's what I admire most in THINGS MISSING/MISSED. It's not afraid to bravely hop into a rabbit hole, or have entire sequences just about turning over flashlights.

This piece runs through May 28th at the Obsidian Theater. It shows Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm. Tickets can be bought at obsidiantheater.org.

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