Review: DON'T WAIT FOR THE MARLBORO MAN at The Kranzberg Black Box Theatre

A harried young professional woman rushes into a hospital waiting room. She is introduced by the narrator as Sarah without providing any additional specifics as to why she is there. Sarah is perturbed that her terribly busy workday was interrupted by an emergency phone call. Shortly following her arrival, she is joined by a man dressed in a leather jacket with motorcycle patches, blue jeans, a pair of protective sunglass-type goggles, and a bandana wrapped scalp. The narrator introduces the enigmatic man to the audience, and the man introduces himself to Sarah as “Pedro, just Pedro.” Both are waiting for information about the same patient who was critically injured in a motorcycle accident, Sarah’s boyfriend, and Pedro’s motorcycle buddy. 

Pedro drove to the hospital on his bike, with a bag of provisions in tow, prepared for a lengthy wait at the hospital. Pedro tells Sarah intimate details about herself and her relationship with her boyfriend. He knows that she prioritizes her work over her relationship, and that she has less than positive feelings about her boyfriend’s work ethic, job status, and his hobby riding, what she calls, two-wheeled death machines. Pedro is a complete stranger to Sarah. She knew nothing of his existence, or his friendship with her boyfriend, prior to him arriving at the hospital.

Upstream Theater is presenting the U.S. premiere of Olivier Garofalo’s DONT WAIT FOR THE MARLBORO MAN. Garofalo is a European playwright and dramaturg whose works have been performed primarily in Luxembourg and Germany. Upstream Theatre’s artistic director Philip Boehm has translated Garofalo’s DON’T WAIT FOR THE MARLBORO man from German into English for its United States Premiere. Written as a two-person chamber play, Boehm’s program notes indicate that the script "leaves a lot of room for play and can be produced with two or three actors." 

Boehm’s interpretation of the script includes the third character in the play, a storyteller who never interacts with the other characters. Played by Eric Conners, the narrator circles around the perimeter of the waiting room giving a straightforward narration of unembellished facts. He tells of the mysterious appearance of Pedro and Sarah’s cold irresponsiveness to Pedro. Conners' portrayal creates a transcendental spiritualistic presence as he informs the audience that the determinant Sarah is no longer in control. 

Isaiah DiLorenzo as Pedro flits around the room penetrating Sarah’s consciousness. His balletic movements and analogies alter her deliberate thoughts and propose an alternate reality. DiLorenzo’s mystifying performance, coupled with his ambiguous babble, leaves one to wonder if he is an actual person or part of Sarah’s subconscious mind. His metaphysical performance is intentionally vague, spectral, and ethereal.  

Caitlin Mickey (Sarah) moves about the stage with resolute purpose. Her task-oriented characterization creates a woman who is detached, lacking normal human warmth. While she exhibits concern for her injured boyfriend, she is also quick to assign him blame for the accident without knowledge of the facts. She is terrific as she slowly transforms from a reserved and distracted presence into a mindfully aware stream of consciousness. 

Boehm’s translation and direction tells a melancholic tale about life, choices, relationships, and death. His trio of actors create stylized characters to challenge beliefs and self-morality. DON’T WAIT FOR THE MORLBORO MAN uses different conventions to tell a somber story that penetrates your consciousness and sticks with you long after leaving the theater.  

Upstream Theater’s production of DON’T WAIT FOR THE MARLBORO MAN plays The Kranzberg Black Box Theatre through April 28th. Click the link below to purchase tickets.  

PHOTO CREDIT: ProPhotoSTL

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