Review: Theatre Artists Studio Presents SWITZERLAND ~ Stirring Performances by Patti Suarez and Joshua Vern

SWITZERLAND, Joanna Murray-Smith's psychological drama about an imagined episode in the life of novelist Patricia Highsmith (Strangers on a Train, The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Price of Salt), symbolizes both a refuge and a state of mind.

A refuge: Switzerland was the final destination of a writer who, according to Andrew Wilson's biography, sought escape from an America she detested and an unhappiness that plagued her. ("Wherever she went, the black dogs of her depression went with her.")

A state of mind: Margaret Talbot, in a 2015 New Yorker article, noted that Highsmith's work was "known for its ostentatious misanthropy," in which, "again and again, one character develops a deadly obsession with another." Wilson adds that Highsmith "takes you step by little step into a world where murder seems almost inevitable, almost excusable, almost ordinary, and she gives you the actions of these disaffected heroes with an almost hallucinatory clarity." To wit, Tom Ripley, Highsmith's suave psychopath, whose "ultimate act of erotic ownership" is to assume the identity of the wealthy gadabout whom he both envies and resents.

Understand that embedded in these accounts are subliminal clues about what's to unfold (twists that cannot be shared here) in the deliciously absorbing production of SWITZERLAND that is now center stage at Theatre Artists Studio and features scintillating performances by Patti Suarez and Joshua Vern.

Ensconced in her self-imposed exile ~ where there is a place for everything and everything (guns, swords, and awards) is in its proper place ~ Patricia's order is disrupted by Edward Ridgeway (Vern), a seemingly timid fellow who has been assigned by the publishing house to convince her to write another Ripley novel. Her response is merciless, resisting the temptation to once more call forth Ripley to the page and, in the meanwhile, slicing and dicing the young man as if he personified the white male literary establishment for which she has total disdain.

It is this version of Patricia Highsmith ~ possessed of misanthropy, disaffection, depression, and cynicism ~ that Murray-Smith has conjured. And it is Patti Suarez who, in turn, has seized the role and delivered a singularly compelling portrayal, rich with nuance and bite.

For his part, Joshua Vern is a literal work in progress, evolving with every sling and arrow that is tossed at him into a character of surprising dimension.

Suarez and Vern are a perfect fit ~ just as, one might say, Patricia and Edward are. The two are engaged in a dance (better yet, a duel) that has an erotic quality, as though an act of seduction were under way, where only one partner can ultimately dominate.

As the dance master, director Brad Allen has done a superb job in setting the right tempo and mood for this stirring production of SWITZERLAND. (It's rather remarkable ~ and deserves to be noted ~ that the meticulous set design and props are credited to Ms. Suarez, who, one would think, had quite enough on her plate. Kudos!)

On a final note, one wonders, whether in the works of writers as different in their genres as Cervantes, Dostoevsky, or Highsmith, there is a point when it is hard to discern where the author ends and the character begins. That's something to think about as you watch SWITZERLAND.

SWITZERLAND runs through November 5th.

Photo credit to Theatre Artists Studio

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