Seattle Review: Catch-22

There are countless plays about war. Some paint a sentimental portrait, while others offer a gritty look at what really transpires. Joseph Heller's Catch-22, adapted from his classic novel of the same name, simultaneously offers a realistic and surrealistic look at wartime. Heller takes his audience on an intellectual and emotional journey, as he emphasizes the utter pointlessness of war. Words, imagery, and action all interweave to create a dense text that sparkles in Theater Schmeater's no-holds-barred staging. Director Josh Beerman assembles a cast of Seattle's strongest fringe actors in an evening that is both riveting and important.

Set at the end of World War II, Catch-22 has a timeless nature that prevents it from becoming the period piece that these types of plays tend to fall victim to. Heller's words have never seemed so fresh, as we realize that not much has changed since his words first appeared in print. As our hero Yossarian fights his way to escape the Army, he is greeted with a world full of hope, insanity, hunger, anger, lust, and evil. Everyone around him is struggling for their survival and their sanity, making it all the more difficult for Yossarian to find his own. Heller's play, as well as Beerman's direction, seems to be happening in the mind. Catch-22 almost operates like a box of mixed up puzzle pieces that will never form a complete picture. Heller asks more questions than he gives answers, but never cheats his audience on substance and power.

Beerman does a fantastic job sifting through Heller's symbolism, and cleverly avoids making the festivities a pretentious mess. He never attempts to fully explain the play's many images, and leaves it up to the audience to make their own conclusions. Beerman's environmental approach fits the text perfectly, creating a "big brother is watching you" atmosphere. His brisk approach adds effective tension. The actors plow through the material with equal parts speed and precision, never stopping to over-explain anything. There is a palpable immediacy in this mammoth struggle to carve identity in a crumbling world. Beerman also allows the humor in the text to play, making the dramatic moments even more lasting. Actors switch characters in the blink of an eye, with a cast of 10 covering 38 different personas. This convention adds to the surrealistic tendencies of the script, forcing the audience to struggle to make sense of something completely senseless. Audience becomes character.

The company nears perfection, led by Brian Claudio Smith's tragic Yossarian. Smith adds delicious layering to the role, emphasizing the confusion and fear one is sure to feel when they are in the middle of a war zone. Smith makes risky choices, and they all pay off. He gives a vulnerable and honest performance that is full of the layers that many young actors lack. His Yossarian is heroic, wise, confused, fearful, sexy, child-like, reckless, and focused.

Alyssa Keene and Erin Knight cement their reputations as two of Seattle/>/>'s most reliable actresses. Keene/>/> soars through the evening's music, echoing the style of the era perfectly. Her confused whore Luciana allows us to see what happens to other cultures when we invade. Knight offers another gutsy performance, putting her unique stamp on the material. Rob Jones gives the play most of its comic touch, playing a snappy mailman as well as a ball-busting soldier. Jason Marr breaks your heart as a confused Chaplin struggling to keep his faith in a difficult situation. Phillip D. Clarke, Patrick Allcorn, and James Weidman all offer diverse performances.

Tim McMath does well with Schmeater's limited budget by creating a stark, apocalyptic design. He moves us quickly through each setting, never letting his artistry stop the action. Chairs, beds, tables, and windows roll in and out with great force, while his lighting creates a rich texture that gives each scene its own unique look and feel. Wrick Wolff fuses period music with the harsh sounds of war, managing to instill tension and fear through natural and artificial noise.

With Catch-22, Theater Schmeater proves once again that it is one of the riskiest companies in Seattle/>/>. The tongue-in-cheek wink that most theatre favors these days can get a bit redundant, and Schmeater's mission to challenge and provoke remains a bright light. Josh Beerman offers a smart evening that leaves you talking long after the actors bow. In these confusing times, it is comforting to know that there are artists willing to pose difficult questions in a world that seems bent on quick answers.

Catch-22 runs at Theater Schmeater through February 25^th. For tickets call (206) 325-6500, or visit www.schmeater.org.

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