Fusion Theatre NYC Presents NO EXIT

FUSION THEATRE NYC has announced a new production scheduled to stream this month. "No Exit" is the play penned by the father of Existentialist philosophy, Jean Paul Sartre. It was first performed during the Nazi occupation of Paris as a one-act play, to ensure that theater goers could get home before curfew. This thought-provoking work is the source of Sartre's famous phrase, "L'enfer, c'est les autres," or "Hell is other people." Thematically, it is an inspired choice of material for Eilin O'Dea's Fusion Theatre Company, examining ideas as relevant today, as they were provocative in 1944. O'Dea shares, "We are extremely excited to present this play. "No Exit" is a powerful landmark of modern French drama. I believe it will resonate with many people during these times." The English translation by Lewis Galantiere has been adapted by director Eilin O'Dea for a cast of classically trained actors.

The entire play takes place in one room, the original notes indicate "Second Empire furniture," suggestive of a terrestrial familiarity. In this production, we have a stripped-down minimalist set, and the play has been edited as a three-hander, eliminating the character of the Valet. The spineless Garcin, played with subtle intensity by Brian Heuer, is the first to enter the room after his recent death. Eilin O'Dea as Inez, the lesbian provocateur, is the next recently deceased character to enter, ironically mistaking Garcin for her torturer, which he assures her he is not. O'Dea infuses her Inez with mesmerizing precision as she manipulates her way through the various revelations of the play. Finally, Raluca Giorgiana, hypnotic as the vain and haughty socialite, Estelle, joins them, immediately noticing that the room has no mirrors. This is intentional so that the characters are forced to look to the others for their sense of self. Sartre's alternate title for this play was "The Others." The audience is a voyeur, watching through a guilty peephole as the characters struggle, grandstand and maneuver in this new world that caustically drips with irony. Deft performances from this stellar cast draw us into this psychologically violent, intellectually stimulating, at times humorous, existential dance of the damned.

Imagine being locked in a room for eternity. We have all had a glimpse of the hell that might encompass, thanks to Covid-19. Now imagine you must share that room with two strangers and see yourself through their eyes. Would you try to deceive them? Finally, imagine that you are dead and being challenged to take responsibility for all your choices and actions. Can you do it? The dawning of self-awareness as it struggles against the protection of self-deception, along with the crippling torture of being observed and judged by others, are themes that loom large in Sartre's Hell, from which there is no exit.

As part of the on-going St. John's in the Village Live Streaming Series, Revelation Gallery will be the stage for "No Exit." This dynamically powerful French classic provokes us to examine our own existential questions. Does hell exist on earth? How do you feel about the pandemic? Are you heroic for going to work or for staying home? Is freedom a choice? Does how others see you, make a difference as to how you see yourself?

Tickets/Donations range from $5-$100 and can be purchased here: HTTP://TIX.MUSAE.ME/NOEXIT

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